Kate Thomson

Kate is a specialist employment and industrial relations lawyer skilled in providing targeted, timely and relevant advice to clients managing workforces from small to large. She is also experienced in work health and safety matters including investigations and prosecutions.

Where conflict cannot be resolved at the workplace level, Kate is experienced in representing employers in relation to unfair dismissal claims, general protections claims and notifications of dispute in the relevant tribunal.

Kate is currently working with our Principal Associate, Dr Rod Harrison, to assist a number of large clients implement interest-based approaches to enterprise bargaining and workplace dispute resolution.  This work is a key part of Kate’s enterprise agreement bargaining practice, which sees her provide advice and support to clients through all stages of the bargaining process, including drafting, bargaining, approval and assisting with approval when agreements reach the Fair Work Commission. Kate is also able to assist clients with ‘plain English drafting’ of agreements, having extensively participated in the Fair Work Commission’s Plain English Re-drafting Proceedings in the course of the Four Yearly Review of Modern Awards on behalf of Australian Business Industrial and Business NSW.

Kate is able to provide advice and assistance to clients at all stages of the employment life cycle, from recruitment, to employment contracts, performance management, workplace investigations, disciplinary processes and termination of employment.

Based in the firm’s Newcastle office, Kate’s clients have included government entities, Councils, listed companies and small to medium enterprises. They represent a broad range of industry sectors including mining and resources, finance, utilities, education, manufacturing and civil construction. She is a regular author and presenter on a range of employment and work health and safety related topics.

Kate is a long-standing member of the Newcastle Law Society management committee, as well as an involved member of the Industrial Relations Society of NSW (Newcastle Branch). She is also proud to support the University of Newcastle Legal Centre and helps to foster the next generation of young legal talent by supervising placement students from the University.