Search

Experience

For 30 years, Richard has conducted a national practice as a workplace relations lawyer, having acted for most of the significant employers in Australia across all industries, including coal and metalliferous mining, offshore oil and gas, airlines, stevedoring, transport and logistics, building and construction, power generation, telecommunications and manufacturing. Richard has also acted extensively for government and public sector employers, as well as regulators.

Richard has extensive experience as a trial and appellate advocate in federal and state courts and tribunals in the full range of industrial and employment matters.

Recent cases include:

• BHP Coal Pty Ltd v Mining and Energy Union [2025] FCAFC 194
• Qube Logistics (Rail) Pty Ltd Trading AS Qube Logistics v Australian Rail, Tram and Bus Industry Union [2025] FWC 2685
• BHP Coal Pty Ltd v Mining and Energy Union [2025] FCA 1116
• Ulan Coal Mines Pty Ltd v Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers, Australia (2025) 311 FCR 352
• Noorton Pty Ltd v Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union [2025] FCAFC 120
• Australian Workers’ Union v UGL Resources (Contracting) Pty Ltd [2025] FCAFC 107
• Transport Workers’ Union of Australia v Qantas Airways Limited (Penalty) (2025) 343 IR 59
• Retail and Fast Food Workers’ Union Inc v Woolworths Group Ltd [2025] FCAFC 105
• Application by Transport Workers Union of Australia re Jetstar Airways Pty Limited [2025] FWC 2125
• Application by Mining and Energy Union re Goonyella Riverside Mine [2025] FWCFB 134
• Qube Logistics (Rail) Pty Ltd v Australian Rail, Tram and Bus Industry Union [2025] FCAFC 73
• NSW Electricity Networks Operations Pty Ltd (t/as Transgrid) v Communications, Electrical, Electronic, Energy, Information, Postal, Plumbing and Allied Services Union of Australia [2025] FWCFB 109; (2025) 340 IR 392
• Qube Ports Pty Ltd v CFMEU [2024] FCAFC 132: 305 FCR 554
• Application by NSW Electricity Operations Pty Limited as Trustee for NSW Electricity Networks Operations Trust T/A Transgrid [2025] FWCFB 73
• CFMMEU v Fremantle Port Authority (2024) 333 IR 377
• AMWU v Opal Packaging Australia Pty Ltd [2024] FWC 2962
• Application by Woolworths Group Limited [2024] FWCFB 314
• Transport Workers’ Union of Australia v Qantas Airways Ltd (2024) 334 IR 187
• Application by NSW Electricity Networks Operations Pty Limited As Trustee For NSW Electricity Networks Operations Trust T/A Transgrid (2024) 333 IR 158
• Fair Work Ombudsman v University of Melbourne [2024] FCA 330
• Application by Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers, Australia (2024) 334 IR 245
• Weir v Telstra (2023) 301 FCR 261
• Qube Ports Pty Ltd T/A Qube Ports v CFMMEU - The Maritime Union of Australia Division [2023] FWCFB 102
• NTEU v Southern Cross University (2023) 326 IR 353
• Ferrigno v Qantas [2023] FCA 1044
• Application by Southern Cross University [2023] FWC 2077
• UWU v Compass Group Healthcare (2023) 324 IR 426
• Application by Spark NEL DC Workforce Pty Ltd [2023] FWCA 2079
• Murdock v Virgin Australia Airlines Pty Ltd (No 2) [2023] FCA 569
• Megan Willoughby v Jetstar Airways Pty Ltd [2023] FWC 899
• Qube Ports Pty Ltd [2023] FWC 508
• Fortrend Securities Pty Ltd v Wollermann [2023] FCA 70
• Application by Maurice Alexander Management Pty Ltd [2022] FWC 3236
• CBRE (C) Pty Ltd v Daniel Thomas & Ors [2022] VSC 636
• State of Victoria, Victoria Police v Milka Bateson [2022] FWC 2655
• Australian Building and Construction Commissioner v CFMMEU (The U-Vet School Case) [2022] FCA 1068
• Murdock v Virgin Australia Airlines Pty Ltd [2022] FCA 1074
• Annunziata Cinque v Jetstar Airways Pty Ltd [2022] FWC 2235
• TWU v Qantas Airways Limited (No 5) [2022] FCA 782
• Stuart Tween v Qantas Airways Ltd [2022] FWC 1594
• Flight Attendants' Association of Australia [2021] FWC 6537
• TWU v Qantas Airways Limited (No 4) [2021] FCA 1602
• Australian Building and Construction Commissioner v CFMMEU (The DoubleTree Hilton Case) [2021] FCA 1468
• TWU v Qantas Airways Limited (No 3) [2021] FCA 1339
• Civil Air Operations Officers’ Association of Australia v Airservices Australia [2021] FCA 1030
• TWU v Qantas Airways Limited [2021] FCA 873
• RAFFWU v Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Ltd [2021] FWCFB 4414
• Chief Commissioner of Police v IHF and Police Registration and Services Board [2021] VSCA 147
• Sabapathy v Jetstar Airways [2021] FCAFC 25
• Lyon v Jetstar Airways [2021] FWCFB 960
• Sabapathy v Jetstar Airways (No 2) [2021] FCAFC 68
• Summers v Qantas Airways Limited [2021] FCA 391
• AWU v Downer EDI Engineering Power Pty Ltd [2020] FWC 2539
• Australian Building and Construction Commissioner v CFMMEU (College Crescent Case) [2020] FCA 757
• Australian Building and Construction Commissioner v CFMMEU (Inner City South State Secondary College Case) [2020] FCA 1147
• Lion - Beer Spirits & Wine Pty Ltd v UWU [2020] FWC 6617
• Fair Work Ombudsman v United Petroleum Pty Ltd [2020] FCA 590
• Treasury Wine Estates Vintners Limited v Pearson [2019] FCAFC 21
• Chi Nguyen v KDR Victoria Pty. Ltd. T/A Yarra Trams [2019] FWC 685
• Victoria Police v The Police Federation of Australia (Victoria Police Branch) T/A The Police Association of Victoria [2019] FWCFB 305
• AWU v Registered Organisations Commissioner (No 7) [2019] FCA 195
• Minister for Industrial Relations for the State of Victoria v Esso Australia Pty Ltd [2019] FCAFC 26
• United Firefighters’ Union of Australian v Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board; Country Fire Authority [2019] FWCFB 184
• Fair Work Ombudsman v A&S Wholesale Fruit & Vegetables Pty Ltd [2019] FCCA 1838
• Esso Australia Pty Ltd v AMWU; AWU and CEPU [2019] FWC 6143
• Australian Building and Construction Commissioner v Powell (No 2) [2019] FCA 972
• Fair Work Ombudsman v Hu (No 2) [2019] FCAFC 133
• CFMMEU v Wagstaff Piling Pty Ltd [2019] FWCFB 102

Articles and papers include:

"Judicial Review of Decisions of the Fair Work Commission", Paper delivered at the Victorian Bar CPD seminar on 25 July 2019.

"Protected industrial action and terminating or suspending industrial action", Paper delivered at Law Institute of Victoria Workplace Law Group Annual Conference at Oaks on Market on 9 November 2012.

"Dealing with OHS representatives and OHS right of entry", Paper delivered at Legalwise Workplace Law Seminar at RACV Club Melbourne on 7 March 2012.

"Civil Penalty Proceedings under the Fair Work Act 2009 and the Building and Construction Industry Improvement Act 2005", Seminar Paper delivered at Law Institute of Victoria on 28 July 2011.

"A Costly Decision", Law Institute Journal, July 2009 (article dealing with the costs framework under the Fair Work Act 2009).

"Workers' Entitlements in Insolvency", Seminar Paper delivered at Legalwise Seminar "Corporate Insolvency: A Practical Guide", Melbourne, 15 September 2005. "Making Disputes Procedures Work", February 2003.*

http://www.findlaw.com.au/articles/default.asp?task=read&id=7654&site=GN "The Right to Strike in Australia", R. Dalton and R. Groom; Melbourne University Journal of International Law, Issue 1 Volume 1, December 2000.*

http://www.mjil.law.unimelb.edu.au/issues/archive/2000/2000-11Dalton.pdf “Inherent requirements of the particular position”, R. Dalton and J. Cooper, Australian Company Secretary, 1996 vol 48(7) Aug pp. 301-302.* (* as a solicitor).

From 01 Jul 2008, liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation.