Rachel Blake
Rachel has been acting for Commonwealth Government Departments and Agencies since 2003. She has been advising and representing various self insured licensees under the Commonwealth workers’ compensation (Comcare) scheme since 2007.
Rachel has particular expertise in compensation and administrative law. Her primary areas of practice are Commonwealth workers’ compensation and pensions. Rachel provides advice and representation in mertis review cases to clients in matters where Decisions involving workers’ compensation or pensions are the subject of review in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT), Federal and Full Federal Courts of Australia. Rachel routinely appears on behalf of clients at conferences, mediations, conciliations, directions hearing and interlocutory applications before the AAT and regularly represents clients at Hearings in the AAT without engaging counsel.
For the past four years, Rachel has been recognised as a leading defendant workers’ compensation lawyer by Doyle’s Guide.
Experience
Rachel’s experience includes advising:
- Federal Government Departments and Agencies such as the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, the Department of Defence and Comcare in workers’ compensation and judicial review matters;
- Federal Government Departments by providing assistance in the development of policy and precedents, briefs to the Minister and response to complaints to the Minister, advice on compliance with the Attorney-General’s Legal Services Directions (including model litigant policy) and conducting test cases;
- Department of Veterans’ Affairs in numerous Departmental policy sensitive matters, including matters involving F111 reseal/deseal chemical exposure, British Nuclear Test service and claims for compensation arising from diseases alleged to have been caused by service-related cigarette smoking;
- Blue chip clients in the logistics and money transit security industries in various Federal Courts and Tribunals;
- New and existing licencees in setting up their claims portfolios under the Comcare scheme, including the preparation of Claims and Rehabilitation Manuals, quality assurance documentation and claims management precedents; and
- Both in-house claims teams and insurers managing Comcare claims portfolios by providing training on workers’ compensation issues and developments.