A partner in Colin Biggers & Paisley's employment and safety team since 2008, Kristen has expertise in employment, industrial relations and discrimination law. She has experience in matters of both a litigious and non-litigious nature.
Kristen acts on behalf of a diverse range of employers across various sectors including insurance, education, faith-based, service, retail, financial, manufacturing, clubs, healthcare, construction, shipping and not for profit.
She assists clients to respond to employment claims in the Fair Work Commission, state commissions, tribunals and in the courts. These claims include applications for unfair dismissal, general protection claims, bullying complaints, discrimination complaints, sexual harassment complaints, underpayment claims and common law breach of contract claims.
In addition, she provides advice on legislation relevant to the workplace, including the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) and assists clients to deal with workplace issues including termination, restructuring and transfers of business.
Kristen also has extensive experience speaking at conferences and conducting client seminars and training on workplace issues. She has a special interest in managing workplace discrimination, harassment and bullying. In 2004, she was invited to present a paper at the Oxford University Round Table on discrimination in employment.
In the 2013 Lawyers Weekly Women in Law Awards, Kristen was a finalist in the Jacinta Fish Legal Mentor Award.
In 2010, she received a Master of Laws degree with first class honours from the University of Sydney, focusing on comparative employment law. Kristen obtained the prize in advanced employment law in 2007 and was a finalist in the 2008 McCallum Medal Presentation competition where she presented on workplace bullying.
Kristen was called to the bar in Ontario Canada in 1995 and practised employment law as a partner in one of Canada's leading law firms until she relocated to Australia. She was admitted as a solicitor in NSW in 2006.