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Mitchell Brennan

Senior Associate
Senior Associate
Melbourne Australia

Mitchell supports employers in complex and contentious employment and industrial relations matters.

Mitchell is a Senior Associate in the Employment, Industrial Relations and Safety practice at Herbert Smith Freehills.  Mitchell has wide ranging experience across all areas of workplace law, obtained in both private legal practice and as in-house legal counsel at a publicly listed integrated services provider.   Prior to commencing legal practice, Mitchell served as an Associate at the Fair Work Commission, Australia’s national workplace relations tribunal.

Mitchell draws upon his experience and understanding of Australia’s complex workplace relations framework to deliver innovative, practical and solutions focused outcomes that advance the commercial and strategic interests of his clients.  Mitchell relishes the opportunity to collaborate with clients and spend time in their workplaces to better understand their operations and the ways in which work is performed.  Mitchell is also a keen advocate and regularly appears on behalf of clients in the Fair Work Commission and state and territory-based workplace relations tribunals.

Background

Master of Laws (Juris Doctor) from Monash University and a Bachelor of Environmental Science and Management from the University of Newcastle.

Admitted to practice as a barrister and solicitor in the High Court of Australia and Supreme Court of Victoria.

Member of the Law Institute of Victoria and the Industrial Relations Society of Victoria.

Experience & expertise

Selected matters

  • supporting employers during enterprise bargaining and the making and approval of enterprise agreements
  • representing employers in industrial and enterprise bargaining disputes brought by trade unions and individuals in the Fair Work Commission and state and territory-based workplace relations tribunals
  • representing employers in anti-bullying, discrimination, unfair and unlawful dismissal claims before the Fair Work Commission, Federal Court of Australia and state and territory-based workplace relations tribunals
  • supporting employers during investigations and compliance activities by the Fair Work Ombudsman and state and territory-based workplace regulators
  • advising businesses on workplace relations strategies as part of commercial project bids, tenders and contract renewals
  • delivering workplace training to frontline HR professionals and briefing senior management and leadership teams on emerging workplace relations issues that matter to their businesses