Aaron Dearden

Practice Areas

Aaron is the head of the national Employment & Workplace Relations practice. He has extensive employment and industrial relations law experience working with employers across a range of industries.

Aaron provides strategic advice to employers on industrial relations issues including enterprise bargaining, workplace change, managing industrial action and union disputes. Aaron also has significant experience advising clients about disciplinary and performance matters, independent contractor claims, underpayment investigations and rectification, and restructures and outsourcing, managing ill and injured workers, breach of contract claims, and the enforcement of restraints of trade.

Aaron provides pragmatic cost effective advice for clients.

View Aaron's full bio here: https://hallandwilcox.com.au/people/aaron-dearden/

Work Highlights

Aaron acts for prominent Australian and international companies. His experience spans many industries including transport, power generation, maritime, and manufacturing. Aaron also regularly appears in employment-related litigation in Commonwealth and State courts and tribunals.

Employment & Industrial relations

Representing Telstra in general protection and discrimination proceedings commenced by an employee alleging adverse action for being stood down due to concerns she was not meeting the inherent requirements of her position.

Advising Ausnet Services in relation to the investigation and rectification of underpayments arising from reconsideration of the coverage of an enterprise agreement.

Advising and representing BGC Securities in relation to the enforcement of post-employment restraints as well as liquidated damages against senior employees subject to fix term contracts.

Advising and successfully representing HEAD Oceania in response to general protection and breach of contract proceedings commenced in the Federal Court by its former managing director.

Advising and appearing on behalf of a number of employers in unfair dismissal conciliations, arbitrations and general protections claims in the Fair Work Commission.

Advising a number of clients on workplace investigations involving sexual harassment and/or bullying.

Advising clients on the application and interpretation of enterprise agreements including appearing before the Fair Work Commission in industrial disputes.

Advising clients in relation to the negotiation of enterprise agreements and associated industrial action.

Work Health & Safety

Advising a large Australian manufacturer in relation to a workplace accident resulting in the loss of limbs and likely prosecution under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW).

Acting for a marine survey and geotechnics business in relation to a safety incident connected with the deconstruction of an off shore oil and gas platform.

Advising an employer with respect to a SafeWork improvement notice including applying to the IRCNSW to set the notice aside notice on the basis it was issued to the wrong PCBU.

Awards