Life as an Employment Lawyer
Gemma Wheeler-Carver Associate, HHG Legal
I have been at HHG Legal Group in its Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution team since 2018. My main area of practice is employment law however I advise and represent clients across a range of commercial disputes, as well as assisting on criminal and restraining order matters. The early years I completed a Bachelor of Law and Bachelor of Commerce in 2009 and undertook an internship during my final year with a not-for-profit organisation, assisting with native title claims in the Federal Court of Australia, negotiation, drafting and implementation of exploration, mining and land management agreements, and governance of prescribed bodies corporate. Although not an area of law I had a particular interest in at university, the challenging legal issues, extensive client engagement, and the chance to travel to parts of Western Australia others only dreamed of, led me to accept an offer of ongoing employment (including articles) with the organisation. I spent six years assisting with native title claims throughout the Central Desert region of Australia, holding claim meetings and AGMs in locations as disparate as boardrooms in Perth and “the tree across the road from the community shop” (yes, this was the location on a meeting notice sent out!). This role allowed me to gain substantial experience in client management, document drafting, litigation, as well as having the privilege of hearing the stories of many different people from different areas of Western Australia. Whilst a relatively new area of law, working in native title involved a broad range of other areas of law including contracts, property, mining, environmental and heritage protection. It was also a fantastic opportunity to hone my skills in communicating with clients and a range of stakeholders, including government (Local and State), corporations and other not-forprofits, and to learn how to effectively tailor my advice and correspondence to its intended audience.
Time out!! As the big 3-0 loomed, I decided to take a short break from my legal career to live in Canada. After two fantastic years working closely with a recruitment company (first as a casual events employee and later assisting with all aspects of their business), I returned to Australia with the goal of finding a position that would allow me to expand my experience in law while still maintaining the close client interaction and challenging work I was used to. My prior litigation and contracts experience, as well as my time spent in Canada and exposure to a range of different workplaces through the work I did there, gave me invaluable insight into the legal requirements of businesses. A week in the life of a HHG Employment and DR Lawyer My typical week at HHG Legal Group includes meeting with new clients, usually employers or employees, and working out the best strategy to assist with their issues. Although this is often a dispute that they are currently facing, we work with them to identify risk factors into the future and set up processes, precedents and training to ensure that (to the extent possible) the dispute doesn’t arise again. Part of this includes getting to know the businesses that I’m working with, their staff and their plans for the future, so that we can ensure that any employment agreements, consultant contracts, policies and procedures, and performance management and termination precedents that we set up for them will practically and efficiently work for their business. It also assists me to identify whether they require other legal assistance, be it new leases, advice on sale of business, client contracts or waivers, estate planning, family law advice or a dispute with a neighbour about a fence. The benefit of working in a full-service firm means that I’m constantly exposed to a range of areas of law and can identify when further advice might be required and direct my clients to the lawyer who can best assist. Having a broad understanding and working knowledge of the types of disputes that arise 228
