As former General Counsel of Queensland Rail and former General Manager Workplace Relations at Virgin Australia, Nick has a unique insight into the requirements of in-house legal teams.
He has built a strong reputation within the Queensland workplace relations industry, noted for his practical approach and ability to achieve results.
Nick has a wealth of industry expertise in aviation, rail, coal and logistics, in both private practice and industry, having practised almost exclusively in workplace relations law since 1997. For much of this career he has been positioned at the forefront of employment strategy and execution in some of the most difficult industrial relations settings.
Whether advising on contentious workplace issues or appearing before the Supreme Court, Nick is well-equipped to get to the heart of the matter and ensure a swift resolution.
Key deals
Queensland Rail
In his capacity as General Counsel for Queensland Rail, Nick was a member of the Executive Leadership Team and led the legal, governance, risk, compliance, internal audit and insurance functions. He was a key member of the team who implemented various reform measures to help prepare Queensland Rail for contestability. He also led the team that managed QRs conversion from a GOC to a statutory authority and with that a change in its industrial regulation from Federal to State laws.
Virgin Australia
During his time as General Manager Workplace Relations at Virgin Australia, Nick led a number of significant projects including:
- development and implementation of Virgin Australia's workplace relations strategy;
- negotiations for replacement collective agreements covering pilots, cabin crew, ground crew and engineers, all of which were concluded without adverse media attention or industrial action;
- consultation with employees and unions about major industrial changes; and
- representing Virgin Australia in various industrial Tribunals and Commissions.
Industrial action campaigns
Acted for BHP and Anglo Coal in various Tribunals, as well as in the Federal and Supreme Court with respect to various campaigns of industrial action by the CFMEU, AMWU and CEPU.
Disputes
Represented BHP and Anglo Coal in various disputes involving their extensive coal mining interests in Queensland as well as the Cannington Mine, the Yabulu Refinery, and the Hay Point and Barney Point Coal Terminals.
Safety
Acted in a number of serious safety incidents, including for BHP Coal in the first prosecution under the coal mining safety and health legislation.