About Rachel
Rachel is a partner in the firm’s employment and workplace advisory practice. She specialises in strategic employee engagement, the resolution of sensitive employment disputes and employment aspects in commercial transactions.
Her broader practice includes working closely with clients on organisational change and restructures, workplace investigations, industrial relations, and payroll related matters.
Rachel works closely with public and private companies, founder-led businesses and family offices. She is also committed to her work across the non-for-profit sector.
Rachel joined Arnold Bloch Leibler after working in-house in both legal and business partnering roles. Rachel graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws with honours.
She is recognised by Best Lawyers® International for her expertise in both Labour and Employment law and Employee Benefits law and has also been recognised as a “Rising Star” in Employment and Workplace Health and Safety in Doyle’s Guide.
“Rachel is first class. She is highly capable, exceptional, experienced and responsive.”
Practice focus
Rachel’s practice spans advisory, contentious and transactional matters, including:
- strategic employee engagement, including executive remuneration and benefits
- sensitive and complex employment disputes;
- strategic industrial relations advice including enterprise bargaining;
- strategic employment advice in connection with payroll compliance;
- organisational change and restructuring, and
- employment aspects of commercial transactions, including management of key employee risk and workforce integration.
Experience
Rachel’s recent experience includes acting on behalf of:
- Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: successfully defending the MSO in Federal Court of Australia proceedings concerning allegations of adverse action made by a guest artist.
- River Capital: in relation to the employment aspects of its strategic investment in Yo My Goodness (YOMG)
- Rural Press: in relation to employment and industrial matters, including strategic workforce planning, enterprise bargaining, employment disputes and union management.
- Alceon Private Equity: in relation to the employment aspects of the acquisition of Boss Engineering
- Australian Community Media: in relation to large scale enterprise bargaining, industrial disputes and individual employment disputes
- Chargrill Charlie’s: in relation to the employment aspects of the sale of business to Craveable Brands
- Private company in the services industry: managing large scale and historical underpayments and industrial disputes
- ME Bank: in relation to the employment aspects of its $1.325 billion sale to the Bank of Queensland
- A health network: in relation to wholescale restructures, industrial disputes, renegotiations and multiple private employment disputes
- A professional services firm: in relation to large scale redundancies and enterprise bargaining
- ASX listed company: management of claims of misconduct against senior management
- Family offices: assisting clients with sensitive employee matters, often involving succession and transition.
“Her advice is considered, clever, commercial, and invaluable.”
Directorships & memberships
- Industrial Relations Society of Victoria
Awards & recognition
The firm is ranked by Chambers Asia-Pacific as a leading employment and workplace advisory practice for its depth of experience and capability in complex workplace matters.
Rachel is recognised as a leading lawyer by various international guides to lawyers and law firms, including:
- Best Lawyers® International: Labour and Employment law, Employee Benefits law; and
- Doyle’s Guide 'Rising Star' Employment and Workplace Health and Safety.
