BRISBANE: Piper Alderman and the Association of Corporate Counsel Australia (QLD) – Safety 101: The dynamic role in-house counsel play in workplace safety

Shane is a Partner at Piper Alderman. He is a nationally recognised leader in employment, industrial relations and workplace health and safety law. He is also skilled in commercial and governance law, and acts as a General Counsel for some clients.

He started his legal career with Freehills, and has subsequently held senior roles with Downer and BHP across coal, base metals, iron ore and petroleum, for operations and expansion projects. He has clients in most industries including mining, mineral exploration, mining services, energy, engineering, construction, power, transport, retail, air and sea ports, government, maritime, education and agriculture.

Shane is a trusted advisor to executives and boards. Shane regularly deals with complex industrial relations strategy and bargaining matters, having led some very substantial industrial reform projects involving the FWC and court litigation. He advises on sensitive departures, settles disputes and conducts investigations.

Shane leads a proactive workplace health and safety law team nationally with a deep capability and experience. His team educates boards and senior officers on strategy, legal compliance, designs and reviews systems, conducts audits and investigations, conducts deep dives and benchmarking processes, critical response processes, education, legal representation and support for employers during serious accidents and in prosecutions. He has also acted for regulators in prosecutions of companies.

Shane is a member of the firm’s Strategic Leadership Group and is a Head of Office. He is a Director of Crime Stoppers. He designed and taught the unit Legal Strategy in Organisations at Murdoch University and is the co-author of a book on the management of FIFO operations in mining.