Sydney – Global law firm K&L Gates has grown its labour, employment and workplace safety team in Sydney with the addition of partner Stephen Hardy, who joins from Baker McKenzie. 

Hardy is an established practitioner who represents Australian and international clients on a variety of employment matters. These include human resources, industrial relations, executive, business protection and complex compliance related matters, the employment aspects of mergers and acquisitions, workplace restructuring and business transformation. 

An experienced litigator, Hardy works closely with clients on their industrial, employment and executive related disputes. Hardy also has a workplace health and safety practice leading high profile and sensitive safety investigations, responding to workplace crises, defending prosecutions and appearing at coronial inquests. 

Known by clients for his pragmatic approach to solutions-led legal advice, Hardy advises clients on understanding core legal elements of their business objectives, providing a clear path to a commercial solution. 

He supports clients across a variety of industries, including banking and financial services, insurance, retail, transport, waste management, manufacturing, information technology, leisure, media and entertainment, property, and professional services. 

Hardy shared: “I feel privileged to be joining a leading global law firm in K&L Gates. I am excited to be part of a powerful and dynamic team that navigates through the complexities of the employment, industrial relations and safety landscape across Australia and abroad. 

I am particularly looking forward to playing a significant role in the growth of the team and see this as a terrific opportunity to harness my experience to best serve the needs of the firm’s clients.” 

Nick Nichola, K&L Gates’ Managing Partner, Australia, stated: “Since March 2020, our labour, employment and workplace safety team has reacted dynamically as Australian workplaces have adapted to COVID-19 measures and the ever-changing landscape of regulations and new community expectations on employers. 

Stephen’s appointment to K&L Gates represents our ongoing commitment to clients who need trusted advisors, particularly during a time of such rapid change. As we anticipate a sustained focus on workplaces and the laws that govern them, Stephen joins a strong team of lawyers who work in-step with clients to ensure their workforces are supporting their ongoing business viability.” 

Lawyers in K&L Gates’ labour, employment and workplace safety practice and Global Employer Solutions area advise Australian and international clients in the technology, pharmaceuticals, retail, banking, manufacturing, hospitality, transportation, broadcasting, construction, mining, energy, financial services, and health care industries, among others, on a variety of regional and cross-border labour and employment issues. With more than 200 lawyers, K&L Gates’ Global Employer Solutions team counsels corporations and entities across numerous countries and jurisdictions in meeting the challenges of their global business needs. 

The firm has welcomed more than 75 partners and of counsel since the beginning of 2020, including in the firm’s corporate; health care; tax; commercial litigation; energy, infrastructure and resources; environment, land and natural resources; asset management and investment funds; banking and asset finance; labour and employment; IP procurement and portfolio management; IP litigation; technology transactions; real estate; government contracts; and investigations, enforcement and white collar practices.