Industrial Relations

Minter Ellison has one of the best true industrial relations practices in Australia – combining full national coverage with a depth of industrial relations experience in each of our offices, an impressive blue chip client base and a lengthy track record, which includes representing our clients in some of the most significant industrial disputes and negotiations in Australia in the past 30 years.

We are more than a mere employment law practice which claims industrial relations expertise. We have proven expertise in advising clients in highly unionised industries — such as banking, building and construction, education, energy and resources, food, government, manufacturing, media, stevedoring and transport.

Our well established client base speaks for itself – and includes Abigroup, the Australian Building and Construction Commission, Australia Post, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, AGL, Boeing, Campbell Arnott's, several Commonwealth Government agencies, DP World, Fairfax, Linfox, News Limited, Peabody Energy, PepsiCo, Queensland Government agencies, Seven Media, SingTel Optus, Thales, several Victorian Government agencies, Westpac and Xstrata. Many of our clients are very large businesses for which high quality, principled industrial relations is mission-critical.

We regularly represent clients before Fair Work Australia and other tribunals and in the courts – including in industrial disputes and arbitrations; enterprise bargaining; industrial action (in the courts and tribunals) and prosecutions for breach of industrial laws and instruments.

We also have a full advisory practice – providing strategic industrial relations advice and advice on compliance with industrial laws to domestic and international clients. Our experience has helped us develop a capacity to think strategically and tactically in complex industrial relations situations.

One important distinguishing features of our practice is our pragmatic approach: we are mindful of practical realities and longer term relationships with employees and unions, and work with our clients to achieve their objectives. Although we do not shy away from a fight, we do not litigate for the sake of it. Nor do we advise our clients to adopt risky ‘one size fits all’ industrial strategies, instead we seek to work behind the scenes to advance our clients’ interests.