How to choose an Employment Lawyer for your Business? September 18, 2020

If your business has workers, deciding how to choose an employment lawyer will be one of the most important decisions you will make.

When you have employees, it is surprising how Australian employment laws impact almost all areas of business operations. The challenge for employers is to find a way through the maze of complex and confusing laws. When you have the right lawyer to support your business, you can minimise legal problems and improve employee relations.

Here are our three tips for choosing the best employment lawyer for your business.

1. What do you want to achieve?

Consider what you hope to achieve by engaging an employment lawyer. While a lawyer will be able to give you specific legal advice on discreet issues, engaging a lawyer who understands your goals will provide you with a greater ability to involve yourself in the legal process insofar as it pertains to your business concerns. It may also help the lawyer address your concerns more efficiently.

These fundamentals underpin all our services. We believe in:

• Straightforward and commercial advice
• Commitment to helping our clients achieve their goals
• Taking time to understand our clients’ business needs

2. Does the employment lawyer have the right experience?

Not all employment lawyers have the same experience.  Your matter may involve an unfair dismissal claim. Or you may need advice about how employment laws will impact the sale of a business. Whatever the issue, it is essential that your employment lawyer has the right experience to suit your needs.

With exceptional experience in all areas of employment law, we can help large and small organisations navigate legal issues, including:

• Drafting employment contracts, executive service agreements, enterprise agreements and independent contractor agreements
• Unfair dismissal and adverse action claims
• Advice about termination of employment including redundancy, serious misconduct and performance management issues
• Bullying and harassment complaints
• Discrimination complaints
• Occupational health and safety issues, including processes, compliance, risk management, investigations and prosecutions
• Advice about minimum employment entitlements and conditions (legislation, modern awards and enterprise agreements)
• Advice about, and drafting of, workplace policies and procedures
• Enforceability of post-employment restraints
• Enterprise bargaining and industrial dispute resolution
• Employment implications of sales of business and other corporate transactions
• Union right of entry
• Statutory superannuation obligations

3. Is the employment lawyer commercially minded?

When your lawyer gives advice, it should be appropriate to your business’s industry, as well as the current economic climate. There has never been a more uncertain and challenging economic time, and you need confidence that your employment lawyer can help you secure your business’s future.

Our employment lawyers:

• Are commercially minded
• Believe in developing a holistic understanding of our clients’ businesses
• Strive to understand what drives your business and shapes your industry
• Pay close attention to how economic forces can influence your operations

Additionally, we have a strong team of commercial lawyers who are ready to help with any other matters which may arise in your business.

The final word

Working out how to choose an employment lawyer requires some thought and research, but the right choice has enormous potential benefits for your business.

To find out more about our employment law services, contact us today.

DISCLAIMER: We accept no responsibility for any action taken after reading this article. It is intended as a guide only and is not a substitute for the expert legal advice you can receive from marshalls+dent+wilmoth and other relevant experts.