Aitken Legal

Aitken Legal delivers Employment Workplace Lawyer and Advisory services solely for employers, practising employment law only, from offices on the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast in Queensland and in Melbourne.

• Founded in 2006 by Managing Director Lisa Aitken, practising employment law since 1994; the Gold Coast office opened in 2011, the Melbourne office in 2021, and the team includes seven lawyers.
• Covers the full employment lifecycle for Queensland and interstate employers, including contracts, enterprise agreements, workplace policies, performance management, workplace investigations, restructuring, redundancy, unfair dismissal and general protections.
• Named clients include Wishlist, Islamic College of Brisbane, Bright Horizons Australia Childcare, Springfree Trampoline and Coastal Dental Care, across industries from construction and education to healthcare and manufacturing.
• The team includes Accredited Specialists in employment law, and the firm was recognised as Employment Law Specialist Firm of the Year in 2023 and appears in the 2027 edition of Best Lawyers in Australia.

Best for: Queensland or Victorian employers that want a specialist firm acting only on the employer side across the whole employment lifecycle.

Aitken Legal provides Company Unfair Dismissal Representation, defending employers in Fair Work Commission claims from its Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and Melbourne offices.

• Represents employers through conciliation and hearing, and reports a history of resolving unfair dismissal claims before they reach hearing.
• Builds defences around the three required elements: a valid reason for dismissal, a fair procedure before termination, and a dismissal that was not harsh, unjust or unreasonable.
• Advises before dismissal to reduce claim risk and briefs employers on exposure, including compensation of up to six months’ remuneration.

Best for: employers responding to an unfair dismissal application or planning a termination likely to be contested.