Michael Doherty

Workplace Counsel

Key practice areas: Employment & Industrial Law
Location: Sydney (NSW), Canberra (ACT)

Michael Doherty is a Workplace Counsel in the Sydney Industrial & Employment Law practice. He practices in all areas of employment and workplace relations law.

He provides advice in relation to a range of issues including; contract negotiation, breach of employment contract, restraint of trade, redundancies, workplace rights (including the general protections in the Fair Work Act), industrial disputes, disciplinary matters, contractor issues, discrimination, OH&S matters, award or agreement compliance and general employment issues.

Michael has advised and represented a wide range of employees including senior executives, CEOs, middle managers, IT professionals, truck drivers, health workers, air traffic controllers, construction workers and rail workers.

He regularly conducts matters in the Federal Court, Federal Magistrates Court, Fair Work Australia, the NSW Industrial Relations Commission and the NSW Supreme Court. He has represented the interest of clients in ICAC enquiries, coronial inquests, the AHEOC (formerly HREOC) and HCCC enquiries.

Examples of Michael's experience include:

  • achieving a multi million dollar settlement for a senior executive with a multinational company who was made redundant
  • successfully negotiating a large payment for the CEO of an international organization following a dispute with the Board
  • acting for a large trade union  in a ground breaking case in the Federal Court that re-defined the way in which  anti strike orders may be made
  • representing two senior executives with a large property development company whose employment was wrongfully terminated resulting in a significant payment of damages to them
  • representing the interests of rail workers in the public inquiry into the Waterfall Rail Disaster, and
  • successfully representing 135 owner-drivers in an action against them for breach of contract.

Michael is a member of the New South Wales Industrial Relations Society and the Commercial Law Association.