Conference Agenda
PERTH: 18 MARCH 2025
BRISBANE: 20 MARCH 2025
MELBOURNE: 25 MARCH 2025
SYDNEY: 27 MARCH 2025
8:50
Chairperson Welcome Address
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An overview of Employment Law Major Updates
Perth: Kate Walawski, Barrister
Brisbane: Meghan De Pinto-Smith, Senior Associate, McKays Solicitors
Melbourne: David Dilger, Director, Edge Legal
Sydney: Erin Lynch, Partner, Gadens
09:05
Psychosocial Safety: Prevent, Manage and Safeguard
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Overview of the legal obligations pertaining to safeguarding psychological health in the workplace
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Understanding psychosocial - stress as a mental health condition
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How organisations can take proactive steps to embed psychosocial safety in their business
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Distinguishing between toxic workplace cultures and difficult employees
Perth: Brian Jackson, Special Counsel, Moray & Agnew
Brisbane: Louise Hogg, Partner, Moray & Agnew
Melbourne: Madelaine August, Partner, Moray & Agnew
Sydney: Elizabeth Radley, Partner, Moray & Agnew and Emma Reilly, Canberra Managing Partner, Moray & Agnew
09:50
Workplace Changes - What you Need to Know in 2025
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Underpaying employees as a criminal offence
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Your positive duties
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What we have learnt from recent cases
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How has the ‘Right to Disconnect’ impacted workplaces?
Perth: Jo Alilovic, Director, 3D HR Legal and Cara Leavesley, Special Counsel, 3D HR Legal
Brisbane: Tim Capelin, Partner, Piper Alderman
Melbourne: John Evans, Special Counsel, Piper Alderman
Sydney: Ben Motro, Partner, Piper Alderman
10:35 Morning Tea
10:55
Post-Employment Obligations – Do they work?
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What are post-employment obligations
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How can organisations ensure they can enforce post-employment obligations
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The protection of confidential information
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Recent case examples
Perth: Renae Harg, Senior Associate, Ashurst
Brisbane: Ellen Mayr, Senior Associate, Ashurst
Melbourne: Simon Moore, Senior Associate, Ashurst
Sydney: Andrea Motbey, Counsel, Ashurst
11:40
INTERACTIVE SCENARIO BASED DISCUSSION:
Conducting Workplace Investigations in the Right Way: Serious Misconduct
During this session you will work through a hypothetical scenario where a conflict or allegation has been raised in the workplace. This session is designed to equip you with the essential tools to conduct thorough, impartial, and just investigations. Through interactive engagement, you'll learn step-by-step approaches to ensure accuracy, fairness, and objectivity in your investigative processes.
Perth: Kate Walawski, Barrister
Brisbane: Edmund Burke, Partner, Dentons
Melbourne: Amanda Junkeer, Partner, Gadens
Sydney: Bruce Heddle, Partner, Maddocks and Katie Kossian, Special Counsel, Maddocks
12:25 Lunch
1:15
Addressing Developments in Workplace Flexibility and Productivity
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Managing differing expectations of employers and employees regarding working from home and flexible working arrangements
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Responding to flexible working arrangements and requests
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Reasonable grounds to reject a flexibility request
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Identifying evolving HR and organisational risk exposure 
Perth: Aroha Greenwood, Senior Associate, MinterEllison
Brisbane: Deanna McMaster, Partner, MinterEllison and Luke Gallant, Senior Associate, MinterEllison
Melbourne: Alishia Prpich, Special Counsel, MinterEllison
Sydney: Amy Walsh, Special Counsel, MinterEllison
2:00
The Role of HR in Workplace Privacy and Security
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Updates on privacy, data protection and cyber security and understanding the Privacy Act Reforms
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What is the role of HR in ensuring data privacy and cybersecurity and why they should care about the response
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Understanding the legal risks faced in the wake of the collection of unnecessary data and excess employee surveillance
Perth: Incoming
Brisbane: Incoming
Melbourne: Incoming
Sydney: Persephone Stuckey-Clarke, Partner, Dentons
2:45 Afternoon Tea
3:05
Panel: Addressing Discrimination in the Workplace
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Discriminatory job listings and interview questions
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Making the workplace neuro-inclusive and understanding discrimination risks
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Gender equality reporting requirements
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Equal Employment Opportunity in Australia
Perth:
Jo Leigh, Associate (admitted in England, not admitted in Australia), Kingston Reid Rochelle Airey, Special Counsel, HWL Ebsworth
Gemma Wheeler-Carver, Senior Associate, Kennedy Vinciullo
Patrick Williams, Senior Associate, Clayton Utz
Brisbane:
Matt Wichlinski, Senior Associate, Kingston Reid
Laura Hillman, Special Counsel, Clayton Utz
Melbourne:
Marcus Topp, Senior Associate, Kingston Reid
Alexandra Terrill, Managing Associate, Dentons
Claire Brown, Principal Solicitor, KHQ Lawyers
William Marshall, Partner, Gadens
Sydney:
Emily Baxter, Partner, Kingston Reid
Alexandra Abbott, Senior Associate, HWL Ebsworth
Alicia Mataere, Partner, Holman Webb Lawyers
Cynthia Elachi, Special Counsel, Clayton Utz
3:50
INTERACTIVE ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS
Roundtable discussion to work through and resolve a common, yet complex HR issue whilst increasing awareness of relevant employment laws and policies.    
Possible areas of discussion:   
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General protection claims
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Contract management: When contracts go wrong
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Right to Disconnect - What constitutes as ‘reasonable’ and ‘unreasonable’ contact
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Supporting Employees facing FDV
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Engaging in negotiations and documenting settlements
Perth:
James Parkinson, Partner, Kingston Reid
​​Kayne Vague, Senior Associate, HWL Ebsworth
Gemma Wheeler-Carver, Senior Associate, Kennedy Vinciullo
​Patrick Williams, Senior Associate, Clayton Utz ​​
Brisbane
Sophie Baartz, Senior Associate, Kingston Reid
​Laura Hillman, Special Counsel, Clayton Utz​
Melbourne
Brad Popple, Partner, Kingston Reid
​Alexandra Terrill, Managing Associate, Dentons
Claire Brown, Principal Solicitor, KHQ Lawyers ​
George Haros, Partner, Gadens
Sydney
Lucy Shanahan, Partner, Kingston Reid​
Lily Schafer-Gardiner, Special Counsel, HWL Ebsworth
Alicia Mataere, Partner, Holman Webb Lawyers
​Cynthia Elachi, Special Counsel, Clayton Utz
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4:35 Chairperson’s Key Takeaways and Closing Address
4:45 End of Conference
