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Catherine practices in workplace and industrial relations, anti-discrimination and employment law.

Catherine’s background is in legal consulting and management. She has run her own consultancy firm and held senior management roles in Federal and State Government departments, including the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (now the Fair Work Commission) and the Attorney-General’s Department (now Justice Department). Since being admitted, Catherine has worked for a national law firm and the Public Service and Merit Protection Commission. Catherine has chaired various promotion appeal committees for the Federal public sector.

Catherine’s expertise is in the intersection between employment and governance, particularly in relation to statutory authorities as well as private sector organisations. She regularly advises on the full range of workplace issues, including industrial disputes, restructuring, dismissals, enterprise bargaining, adverse action, discrimination and interpretation of industrial instruments.

Recent examples of work undertaken by Catherine include:

• Developing and providing training to senior managers and decision makers within the private and public sector on appropriate workplace behaviours relating to industrial relations and anti-discrimination legislation.
• Advising and representing companies and individuals on termination of employment, workplace relations and anti-discrimination claims.
• Drafting and reviewing current contracts of employment, workplace policies and procedures.
• Conducting investigations, healthchecks and providing reports and recommendations.
• Providing human resources management advice to clients and assisting with disciplinary procedures and correspondence.

Catherine is a Chairperson for the legal pool of the Disciplinary Appeals Board, in the Department of Education and Training.

Catherine is a member of the Reconciliation and Advancement Committee of the Law Institute of Victoria’s Administrative Law and Human Rights Section. She is a member of the OLSH College Bentleigh Board and chair of its policy and governance committee.