29 March 2010: Maddocks has appointed former Clayton Utz partner Bruce Heddle as a Employment, Safety & People partner in Sydney, joining with Darren Gardner to create one of New South Wales' leading employment and industrial relations practices.
With more than 20 years' experience in all aspects of employment and workplace relations law, Bruce is regarded as one of Australia's leading employment lawyers.
He has extensive experience in managing large disputes and has a strong background in occupational health and safety and discrimination law. During his time as a partner at both Clayton Utz (and earlier Minter Ellison), Bruce advised many of Australia's largest companies on senior executive appointments and terminations.
"Bruce and other recent appointments add further depth to our team's existing considerable expertise across all areas of industrial relations, discrimination, employment and safety-related fields", said Maddocks Employment, Safety & People national practice group head, Ross Jackson.
"We are now in a position to offer true national capability in these fields, with a particular focus on the Eastern seaboard. I will remain focused on servicing all levels of Government. Karl Blake in our Melbourne practice has a very strong private sector client base; whilst Catherine Dunlop is one of the nation's leading safety and disaster management lawyers. Darren Gardner has built the Sydney practice across both the public and private sectors; and now, with the recruitment of Bruce Heddle, we gain a particularly strong profile in areas such as financial services, health and education."
"Despite the economic downturn, we have experienced strong growth in both Melbourne and Sydney, across all employment, discrimination and safety related areas. The advent of the Fair Work Act 2009, coupled with our work acting for the Country Fire Authority in the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission, has given our people further opportunity to demonstrate the quality and depth of expertise Maddocks offers in industrial relations, employment and safety related fields."
There is now a team of five partners and almost 20 lawyers practicing in industrial relations, occupational health and safety and discrimination law at Maddocks, with several new appointments anticipated in coming months.
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Penelope Thomas
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media@maddocks.com.au