Hall & Wilcox adds employment practice to growing Perth office

Leading business law firm, Hall & Wilcox, has expanded its Perth office with the appointment of leading employment partner Kylie Groves and team.

Hall & Wilcox opened in Perth in December 2015 with an initial focus on insurance. The new employment and workplace relations team signals the firm’s intent to expand its service offering to other commercial areas in Perth, as part of its national growth strategy.

Kylie is a highly experienced practitioner in employment, workplace relations, occupational health and safety and discrimination law. Her areas of expertise include advising on the management of ill and injured employees, enterprise bargaining and agreement making and ensuring compliance with workplace laws.  She also has considerable experience assisting clients with the employment aspects of corporate transactions and restructures and with employment related litigation.

Also joining with Kylie is special counsel Felicity Clarke, senior associate Jillian Howard and lawyer Emily Tan.

Felicity has over 12 years' experience in labour and employment law and regularly advises clients in relation to the defence of prosecutions under occupational health and safety laws.  She also has considerable experience in assisting clients with complex workplace investigations and in advising public sector employers.

Jillian advises businesses and public sector clients on a broad range of labour and employment matters.  She has a particular interest in discrimination issues and experience in providing strategic advice in relation to organisation change and the conduct of large scale restructuring exercises.  She is also a registered migration agent and assists clients with global mobility issues.

All were previously at Squire Patton Boggs.

Hall & Wilcox's Managing Partner, Tony Macvean, said adding the employment practice to the Perth office was a big part of the firm’s long-term picture. “Our ambition for Perth has always been to develop a full-service capability across a number of practice areas including employment, litigation, insolvency and commercial.

“Kylie and her team are excellent lawyers who are highly respected by their clients and strongly align with our culture.”

Mr Macvean said the Perth office had just capped off a strong first year. “Partners Anton Vucak and Joel Sheldrick have led the team through an impressive year for Perth, including appointments to some highly coveted panels whilst retaining and growing their existing client base.”

Mr Vucak commented that the new team “fits with our vision to provide a full service offering to our Perth-based clients, and complements nicely our existing insurance practice in Perth.”