Follow us

Dean is a Special Counsel with expertise in complex employment litigation.

Dean assists clients to resolve complex disputes and litigation, as well as matters related to restraints of trade, general protections claims, enterprise bargaining and business restructures.

He works closely with clients to translate their objectives into pragmatic, business-focused advice and uses his knowledge and experience of litigation in various courts and industrial tribunals to help clients navigate complex workplace issues. 

Dean works with clients in the public sector and across emergency services, labour hire, oil and gas, maintenance services, food and beverage manufacturing, finance, hospitality, publishing and telecommunications sectors.

Early in his career, Dean was seconded to Telstra where he provided strategic advice on legal and industrial risks surrounding restructuring, outsourcing and the introduction of alternative remuneration arrangements.

Through this experience, Dean has a keen understanding of the various commercial factors that drive legal strategies.

Dean has helped clients in a number of high profile proceedings dealing with:

  • the general protections regime
  • the recovery of penalties and damages for unlawful industrial action
  • the enforcement of restraint of trade obligations
  • breach of contract claims involving senior executives​

Dean’s has also advised clients on matters such as:

  • the preparation of executive contracts
  • compliance with termination benefits limits for departing executives
  • the protection of confidential information
  • enterprise bargaining
  • responding to equal opportunity complaints

Dean was selected by his peers for inclusion in the 2016 Edition of Best Lawyers in Australia in the practice area of Labour and Employment Law.

Background

Dean holds a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) and Bachelor of Science from the Australian National University.

Experience & expertise

Selected matters

  • the State of Victoria (OPP) in the Full Federal Court to successful defend adverse action proceedings arising from an allegation of unlawful termination of employment on grounds of mental illness
  • the Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police in relation to high profile litigation between former union secretary Paul Mullett and the former Chief Commissioner of Police, Christine Nixon
  • Qantas in the Federal Court and the High Court to recover penalties and damages against the transport union arising from unlawful strike action at various airports across Australia
  • BHP Coal, in one of the first general protections claims against a union, seeking penalties against the mining union arising from the imposition of a ban on employees working overtime
  • the Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police in the Federal Court and Magistrates’ Court defending a class action brought by over 500 members of the police force alleging underpayment of wages

Services