Connect with meKirsty is an employment law specialist, having spent over a decade delivering proven strategic employment and industrial relations advice and solutions to the Commonwealth government. Her expertise encompasses the full spectrum of workplace law, including complex industrial relations, discrimination law, and work health and safety matters.
Kirsty’s time working within multiple government entities has given her a keen understanding of public sector employment relations strategy and decision-making frameworks. This institutional knowledge equips her to navigate the unique challenges and regulatory environment of Commonwealth agencies with precision and strategic acumen.
Throughout her career, Kirsty has led sensitive investigations, complex litigation, and high-stakes industrial relations matters for a wide range of agencies, including the Department of Home Affairs, Department of Defence, Services Australia, Australian Federal Police, Department of Employment and Workplace Relations and Australian Prudential Regulation Authority.
Kirsty’s pragmatic approach combines her extensive public sector expertise with her background advising major ASX-listed entities, enabling her to deliver sophisticated and informed guidance that addresses both legal complexities and organisational imperatives. This dual perspective ensures her counsel is not only technically robust but strategically aligned with broader government objectives and operational considerations.
Investigations
- Conducting APS Code of Conduct investigations, Public Interest Disclosure investigations, review of actions, preliminary investigations and privileged inquiries for Services Australia, Department of Health and Ageing, Department of Home Affairs, Department of Defence, and Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.
Litigation
- Acting for the Commonwealth in relation to dozens of unfair dismissal, general protections and discrimination applications lodged against the AFP, NDIA, Department of Home Affairs, Department of Defence, Airservices Australia, Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Education.
Industrial Relations
- Supporting APRA in the amendment, negotiation and approval of its current enterprise agreement.
- Successfully defending a section 739 dispute lodged against the Australian Federal Police in defence, where Kirsty appeared as advocate for the Commonwealth.
Advisory
- Preparing a full suite of SES employment contracts and section 24 determinations for The Treasury.
- Preparing a report summarising all pre-Modern Award long service leave entitlements, and conducting a comparative analysis of Modern Award terms supplementing selected National Employment Standards entitlements for the Attorney General’s Department.
- Leading a Modern Award compliance audit of a major telecommunications provider’s distribution network and providing advice on the provider’s obligations arising from audit outcomes.
- Managing employment and work health and safety due diligence for major corporate transactions, supporting both acquiring entities and acquisition targets. This work involved identifying key risks, evaluating compliance frameworks and advising on workforce transition strategies.
- Designing a payroll compliance audit methodology to support a major consultancy’s audit of a disability services provider.
Work Health & Safety
- Advising recreational facilities on the management of multiple work health and safety incidents, and responding to enquiries by WorkSafe ACT and SafeWork NSW.
- Government
- Sexual Harassment, Bullying and Discrimination
- Unfair Dismissals and General Protections Claims
- Work Health and Safety
- Workplace Investigations
- Public Sector
- Healthcare & Life Sciences
- Australian Labour and Employment Relations Association ACT, Vice President 2024, President 2018-2024
- Women Lawyers Association ACT
- ACT Law Society
- ACT Law Society Industrial Relations Committee Member, 2017-2024