Erin McCarthy
Partner
Adelaide
Profile
Erin has over fifteen years’ experience in providing advice to employers and employer associations on all aspects of occupational health and safety, employment and industrial relations law as well as delivering essential information seminars and training workshops on key employment issues.
Erin has extensive experience providing advice in relation to performance management, misconduct investigations and unfair dismissal claims, bullying, discrimination and harassment matters and occupational health and safety issues including risk management and policy development.
In particular, Erin has been involved in numerous enterprise bargaining processes for large organisations across industry sectors, supporting clients in the planning, negotiation and implementation stages of the process.
Erin is a co-author of Parental Leave: A User-Friendly Guide, published by Thomson Reuters in December 2011.
As a part of our national team, Erin advises clients in all states and territories in Australia.
Expertise
Recognition
‘Erin McCarthy – very easy to work with, pragmatic and patient.’
The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific: Labour and employment, 2024 edition – Testimonials
‘Erin McCarthy, in particular, is amazing. She can converse with our managers, board, HR team and executive and convey information in real terms that people understand. She is down to earth, has a sense of humour, and gets our business because has taken time to learn about our operations and risk appetite etc…’
The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific: Labour and employment, 2021 edition – Testimonials
‘Erin McCarthy is straightforward, practical, and to the point. Understands the commerciality of decisions.’
The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific: Labour and employment, 2023 edition – Testimonials
Accolades
- Best Lawyers® Australia – ‘Lawyer of the Year’ for Occupational Health & Safety (Adelaide) – 2018 & 2022
- Best Lawyers® Australia – Labour & Employment Law – Since 2016
- Best Lawyers® Australia – Occupational Health & Safety Law – Since 2016
- Best Lawyers® Australia – Human Rights Law – Since 2020
- Best Lawyers® Australia – Education Law – Since 2022
- Legal 500 Asia–Pacific – Recommended Lawyer for Labour & Employment Law – Since 2018
- Doyle’s Guide – Preeminent Lawyer for Employment (Employment Representation), SA 2022 – 2024
- Doyle’s Guide – Leading Lawyer for Workplace Health & Safety, SA 2018 – 2024
- Doyle’s Guide – Leading Lawyer for Employment (Employment Representation), SA 2015, 2017, 2019 – 2021, 2025
- Doyle’s Guide – Recommended Lawyer for Employment (Employment Representation), SA 2016 & 2018
- Doyle’s Guide – Recommended Lawyer for Employment (Employment Representation), Australia 2023 & 2024
- Doyle’s Guide – Recommended Lawyer for Workplace Health & Safety, SA 2016, 2017 & 2025
- Lawyers Weekly Australian Law Awards – Finalist for Workplace Relations and Employment Team of the Year – 2016, 2017
Memberships
- Board Member, Rural Doctors Workforce
- Deputy Chair, St Michael’s College
- Deputy Chair, Bedford Group Ltd + Chair of Service Governance Committee
- Member, Australian Institute of Company Directors
- Member, Australian Labour and Employment Relations Association SA
- Member, Australian Labour Law Association
