Katherine is a Special Counsel in HWLE’s Workplace Relations and Safety Group. Katherine has over 20 years’ experience in workplace relations the majority of which has been in private practice advising employers. She is an experienced litigator and advocate, including appearances before the Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission. She is highly regarded by peers and clients. Her clients value her ability to ‘walk’ with them and manage issues with an in-house feel, as well as provide technically astute and strategic advice when needed.
Katherine has a breadth of experience, including working as a union industrial officer within government and on a long term secondment for a large vehicle industry employer. She draws on that experience to provide effective, practical advice. Katherine works across a range of industries, especially in the food and beverages, disability services and construction and manufacturing sectors.
Expertise
Experience
- Food manufacturer Advising in relation to interpretation of the definition of ‘seven day shift worker’ and successfully representing the client in an application to the Fair Work Commission in relation to interpretation of the definition.
- Aviation employer Acting in relation to approval of an enterprise agreement and successfully representing the employer in proceedings before the Fair Work Commission in which approval of the enterprise agreement was opposed.
- Food manufacturer Acting in relation to appeal of a decision of the Fair Work Commission in relation to interpretation of the Food, Beverage and Tobacco Manufacturing Award 2010 and successfully representing the client on appeal (including appearance before the Full Bench).
- Compliance Auditing Advising various clients across a range of industries on large compliance audits and issues associated with annualised salaries, including audits of award and classification coverage.
- Manufacturing and labour hire clients Advising on portable long service leave schemes, including CoINVEST.
- Unfair Dismissal Representing employers in unfair dismissal proceedings, including appearances in the Fair Work Commission at first instance and on appeal.
- Enterprise Bargaining and Disputation Advising various clients on enterprise bargaining strategy, assistance with the bargaining process including drafting and advising on compliance issues, advising on enterprise agreement interpretation and representation in disputes under enterprise agreements.
- Beverage manufacturer Advising in relation to a dispute under an enterprise agreement about whether employees could refuse to undertake training and successfully representing the client before the Fair Work Commission in arbitration of the dispute.