Jeremy Cousins

Whitehall Workplace Law is an independent Australian employment law and industrial relations legal practice providing high quality practical advice, support and client-focussed services to national and international companies.

We provide an alternative to the large commercial firms on employment law and industrial relations issues to clients across the whole of Australia by encompassing a more integrated, client-focussed approach. At Whitehall Workplace Law:

• we take the time to truly understand your business and the issues it faces

• we have extensive knowledge of employment law and industrial relations in Australia

• we have considerable experience in a wide variety of Australian employment law and industrial relations disputes and cases

• we are practical, yet thorough, methodical and meticulous in our approach

• we offer a more flexible, personable and communicative service.

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Jeremy Cousins deals with a wide range of Australian workplace relations and employment matters including advising clients on industrial relations strategy, industrial disputes, restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, defending claims under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) and under both state and federal discrimination legislation, in all Australian States and Territories. 

Jeremy has more than 18 years’ experience as a dedicated employment and industrial relations lawyer and has extensive experience with large commercial law firms (including one of the world’s biggest international law firms by revenue, DLA Piper).

Jeremy is a Certified Professional, Australian Human Resources Institute, an updating author of Thomson Reuters’ Lawbook The Laws of Australia labour law chapters on the Australian Industrial Relations System and Awards and Agreements and the Work chapter in the Human Rights section.  He acts as an advocate in Australian Commission, Court and Tribunal proceedings and is a regular speaker on Australian employment law and industrial relations topics (including speaking at various legal industry and human resources training events).

Jeremy’s experience includes:

• Award interpretation and compliance issues

• Bullying complaints

• Confidential information, restrictive covenants and other post-employment issues including search orders and injunctions

• Construction industry matters including compliance issues relating to the Building and Construction Industry (Improving Productivity) Act 2016 (Cth), the Building Code, investigations and examinations etc.

• Disciplinary issues, employee grievances and performance management

• Discrimination and sexual harassment matters

• Employment contracts and executive service agreements

• Enterprise agreements (including assistance with negotiations, drafting, agreement making, Fair Work Commission approval and disputes)

• Expatriate employee issues

• Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) and Fair Work Commission matters (all matters of this type)

• HR policies

• Independent contractor agreements and disputes

• Industrial disputes

• Labour hire agreements and labour hire licensing

• Management of injured workers

• Privacy, record keeping and data protection

• Redundancy

• Right of entry

• Stand down

• Strategic industrial relations and employment advice

• Termination of employment

• Transfer of business issues and employee due diligence – arising on business sales and purchases, outsourcing, insourcing, and other restructuring

• Union eligibility issues

• Unfair dismissal and general protections (“adverse action”) claims

• Work health and safety including road transport safety

• Workplace investigations (including equal opportunity, bullying and harassment, misconduct and employee fraud investigations).

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