Mark Lawlor

I specialise in employment law and related dispute resolution.

I provide strategic advice to employers, senior executives and human resource managers on complex and sometimes sensitive matters. I have extensive experience as an advocate in personal grievance claims, conducting private negotiations on behalf of clients, and appearing before the Employment Relations Authority and Employment Court.

I have advised some of New Zealand’s leading organisations and iconic brands on all aspects of their employment law needs. I have a strong base of knowledge across a number of industry sectors, including air transport, IT, manufacturing, FMCG, retail and fitness/recreation.

Many of my clients do business in New Zealand and Australia. I have relationships with a number of Australian firms and work closely with them to ensure that our mutual clients receive practical and commercial advice across their trans-Tasman operations.

Recent work includes:

• Representing Cathay Pacific in litigation involving pilot retirement and jurisdiction issues, including appearing (as junior counsel) in the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court,
• Advising a FMCG multinational company on the closure of its long-standing NZ manufacturing operations and the resulting redundancies,
• Advising an Australasian company on a complex workplace investigation into allegations of bullying and sexual harassment against a senior executive,
• Advising a New Zealand company in regard to allegations of serious misconduct including conflict of interest against a senior executive, and
• Advising a New Zealand airline on collective bargaining, employment agreements, rest and meal breaks and employment disputes, and
• Advising a New Zealand Sporting Body on athlete selection dispute and selector duties. 

I value being on-site with clients and offer in-house training to senior managers when required. My team and I regularly present to clients and industry bodies on employment topics including bullying, sexual harassment and workplace investigations.

Outside of the firm I am on the board of YMCA Auckland (including Hamilton & Tauranga).