Shae McCartney is a Partner in the Workplace Relations, Employment & Safety Group. Shae advises corporate and government clients on a range of industrial and employment issues, health and safety, legal compliance, as well as dispute resolution.
Shae's strategic and litigious industrial relations knowledge spans a broad range of industrially active industries including: local and state government, banking, mining, construction, manufacturing, ports, aviation, transport, water and electricity. Shae's clients report that her industry knowledge, interest in and understanding of their business, ensures that she always provides commercial, practical and outcome focused legal advice.
An experienced trainer, she provides innovative and practical training (both public and client tailored) in all areas of employment law. Some of the training topics Shae covers are transition to Fair Work Act, occupational health & safety, managing injured workers, advocacy before courts and tribunals, complex EEO and bullying investigations, managing absenteeism and industrial relations.
Shae shares her knowledge with clients in valuable workshops offered through Clayton Utz Training Program.
Expertise
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Workplace Relations, Employment and Safety
Construction, major projects and resources
Shae has acted on major construction and infrastructure projects and for major mining companies providing advice in relation to industrial strategy, enterprise bargaining and negotiations, contract provisions/ERMPs, joint venture set-up and code compliance as well as industrial disputation such as Coal Mining Safety and Health Act requirements, including fatigue management, drug and alcohol and coal board medicals, and rehabilitating injured workers.
Shae has a particular understanding of issues in the mining industry gained from a 12 month intensive secondment as Workplace Relations Corporate Counsel with a large mining client.
Safety experience
Shae has a strong safety background in both compliance and management of injured workers (including incident response). Shae's practical and understanding approach to safety is highly valued by her clients as she works with them to provide strategic solutions, taking into account the diverse range of issues that impact on safety matters and which safety impacts on. From her industry experience, Shae has a first-hand understanding of how safety issues can impact on a workplace – from the workers to the Board.
Industrial projects
Shae has been involved in providing industrial advice, strategic and contingency planning, industrial project management, and union negotiations in relation to some of Queensland's largest projects including greenfields mine construction, port and mine expansions, outsourcing of facilities, contractor management plans and critical path shutdowns as well as corporate and government agreement negotiations.
Litigation experience
Shae has a strong litigation background, successfully litigating matters in most jurisdictions in Australia including State and Federal Industrial Commissions, State EEO Tribunals and HREOC, as well as all levels of the common law courts right through to the High Court.
Corporate and commercial
Shae also has specific expertise in corporate and commercial matters including divestments, acquisitions and mergers and providing advice to Boards on areas such as executive remuneration. Shae has undertaken numerous due diligences from the seller's and buyer's perspective relating to employment and safety issues. She has been involved in advising extensively on the impact of transfers/mergers and the employment issues that occur in any changed management process.
See Workplace Relations, Employment and Safety