Rebecca heads the firm’s Employment National Practice Group. 

Experienced in all aspects of employment law, her expertise includes advising on personal grievance claims, restraints of trade, restructuring, holiday pay compliance and remediation, disciplinary, and performance management processes.

She provides commercial and pragmatic advice on employment law matters to clients in a range of sectors, including health, education, local government, banking and finance, building, engineering and manufacturing, retail, and forestry.  She has further developed her expertise through secondments in the banking and building/construction sectors.

Rebecca regularly attends mediations and represents clients in the Employment Relations Authority and Employment Court. 

A trusted advisor, Rebecca is known for her responsiveness and quick turnaround.  

Rebecca regularly presents at conferences and provides training to various organisations and clients on employment law matters.  She is also a columnist for BusinessDesk. 

Chambers Asia-Pacific 2023
Employment

Leading Lawyer

Asia Pacific Legal 500 2023
Labour & Employment

Next Generation Partner

Work Highlights

Advisory

Advising on senior executive employment agreements and exit negotiations.

Drafting and advising on restraints of trade and actions against departing employees for breaches.

Advising on bullying/harassment investigations and acting as an independent investigator.

Providing commercially focused and robust opinions on various matters.

Personal grievances/Litigation

Successful strike out application in the High Court for judicial review of a Human Rights Review Tribunal decision.

Te Whatu Ora – Counties Manukau

Successful defence of unjustified dismissal claim.

Fonterra Co-operative Group

Successful defence of unjustified dismissal and reinstatement claim (breaches of health and safety and food, safety and quality policies).

Fletcher Concrete and Infrastructure

Unjustified disadvantage/bullying claims - successfully defended bullying and breach of good faith claims in Employment Relations Authority.

Grace Team Accounting

Leading redundancy case in Court of Appeal.

Industrial Relations

Advising on collective bargaining processes and strategy and attending collective bargaining as part of an employer’s bargaining team.

Providing urgent and strategic advice on strikes (including issues in relation to replacement labour and communications strategy).

Fletcher Concrete and Infrastructure

Application for declaration before full bench of Employment Court that historical clause in a collective agreement conferred an unlawful preference on union members.

C3 

Appeal by former employee in Court of Appeal in respect of alleged discrimination on the grounds of status as Union Delegate and Health and Safety Representative.

Holidays Act Audits

Advising employers in the public and private sector on Holidays Act compliance and advising on audits and investigations by Labour Inspectors.

Areas of Expertise

Insights & News