Lisa Aitken
, Managing Partner
Lisa was admitted into practice in December 1994 and has more than 14 years experience practicing purely Employment Law. Lisa worked in the Employment Law practice of Minter Ellison Lawyers – one of Australia’s largest firms for the first 11 years. During this time Lisa spent 9 years with Minter Ellison in Sydney, before transferring to the Brisbane office in March 2004 when her family relocated to the Sunshine Coast. Lisa decided to leave Minter Ellison in January 2006 to open Aitken Legal on the Sunshine Coast allowing her to use her experience to provide a specialist service to Employers on the Sunshine Coast whilst working closer to home.
In 2007, Lisa was named the Sunshine Coast Small/Micro Business Woman of the Year.
In 2008, Lisa became an Accredited Specialist in Workplace Relations Law through the Queensland Law Society. Currently only 8 lawyers in Queensland have obtained this accreditation.
Lisa appears on behalf of clients in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission as well as the Industrial Relations Commissions, Anti-Discrimination Tribunals and Industrial Magistrate Courts in both Queensland and NSW.
Lisa’s experience includes:
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providing strategic advice on human resource issues;
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advising about employment terminations and acting in relation to unfair dismissals and other termination proceedings;
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negotiating, drafting and advising about enterprise agreements;
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preparing and advising about contracts of employment
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advising in relation to employee entitlements and underpayment of wages claims
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preparing policies and employee handbooks;
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advising in relation to restructures in the workplace; employment issues on transmissions of business and redundancies;
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investigating, advising about and acting in relation to discrimination, harassment and workplace bullying issues;
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preparing independent contractor agreements and discussing arrangements with independent contractors, and
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advising about and acting in relation to workplace health and safety issues, including prosecutions in all states of Australia.
Lisa has extensive experience advising employers in the investigation of complaints of discrimination, harassment and bullying and representing them in discrimination proceedings in state and federal tribunals and courts. She also has extensive expertise in workplace health and safety and has advised in relation to workplace health and safety compliance, including contractor management. Lisa has acted for employers throughout the investigation and prosecution process for breaches of the legislation resulting from workplace accidents that included serious injuries and death. Lisa has represented CHEP Australia Limited (a division of Brambles Industries) in relation to its workplace health and safety issues in the Asia Pacific region since 2000.
Lisa’s clients on the Sunshine Coast include UnderWater World, Buslink, Cadet Training & Employment, Oaks Hotels & Resorts Limited, Reed Property Group, the Sunshine Coast Regional Council, University of the Sunshine Coast, Matthew Flinders Anglican College, Community Solutions Inc., Sunshine Coast Grammar School, Infocus Money Management and Singapore Flying College. Lisa has been a member of the General Committee for the Sunshine Coast Area Consultative Committee since December 2006.
See our Awards section.
