Jessica Luker

Jessica is an experienced employment lawyer, passionate about providing commercial and strategic advice in all areas of employment law and industrial relations.

Her areas of expertise include restraints of trade, regulatory compliance and underpayment investigations, unfair dismissal and adverse action claims, enterprise bargaining and bargaining disputes.

Jessica acts for a variety of clients including local councils, ASX-listed companies, small businesses and individuals, across a wide range of industries, including local government, financial services, manufacturing, health care, maritime and construction.

Jessica is well respected by her clients for giving commercial and pragmatic advice and does so by immersing herself in their business. Her diverse experience means that she is equipped to advise on a range of workplace issues to meet her client’s organisational objectives.

Experience

• Advising ASX-listed companies in relation to compliance with industrial instruments and multi-million dollar underpayment investigations, including advising on disclosures to the Fair Work Ombudsman and the market, and remediation action.
• Advising on work, health and safety obligations and liability, including in respect of the COVID-19 pandemic and facilitating safe return-to-work practices.
• Advising a real estate business in relation to restraint of trade proceedings connected with a team move and successfully obtaining urgent injunctions and final orders enforcing the post-employment restraints against eight defendants.
• Advising a global medical device business during the COVID-19 crisis regarding JobKeeper eligibility, directing employees to take leave, implications of recent variations to modern awards and managing adverse actions claims.
• Undertaking an independent investigation for an international property data and information analytics service relating to allegations of bullying and harassment by a senior executive.
• Appearing in unfair dismissal proceedings at first instance and on appeal in the Fair Work Commission, and in related Federal Court judicial review proceedings on behalf of BlueScope Steel Limited.
• Advising a small business with respect to a breach of contract claim involving the termination of a long-standing employee and family member in the Federal Circuit Court, including jurisdictional disputes arising from separate but related proceedings in the NSW Supreme Court and the NCAT regarding a contested estate.
• Advising a peak financial services industry body on the amended whistleblower protections under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) and preparing whistleblower policies.
• Supporting a global marine towage company in the re-negotiation of multiple enterprise agreements involving various different unions, including advising on negotiations, responding to protected industrial action, and advising on related disputes before the Fair Work Commission.