.png?width=600&quality=75&resize=contain&format=origin)
.png?width=1920&quality=75&resize=contain)
Richard brings over 30 years of experience in employment law and commercial dispute resolution, having served as an industrial relations advisor, lawyer, and barrister. Throughout his career, he has developed a broad practice representing both commercial and individual clients across all areas of employment law and business disputes. In employment law, Richard has acted for clients from a diverse range of industries including manufacturing, retail, transport, shipping, recruitment, labour hire, finance, IT, medical, education, and legal firms. He provides expert advice on employee relations, performance management, termination, and employment agreements, and frequently represents clients in matters involving unfair and unlawful dismissals, general protections and adverse action claims, wage disputes, discrimination, bullying and harassment. His advocacy extends across multiple jurisdictions including the Fair Work Commission, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Tribunals, VCAT, Magistrates Court, Supreme Court, Federal Circuit Court, and Federal Court. Richard works closely with CEOs, directors, management teams, and employees, offering practical and strategic guidance on workplace policies, payroll compliance, workplace investigations, redundancies, restraint of trade, and whistleblower protection. In the commercial and corporate arena, Richard provides advice and representation in disputes relating to the sale and purchase of companies and shares, shareholder conflicts, intellectual property matters, cybercrime proceedings, debt recovery, and contractor and freight disputes. He has extensive experience conducting negotiations, mediations, and settlement conferences, and manages disputes from pre-litigation through to court proceedings, including matters involving Supreme Court injunctions and administrative law issues such as constitutional and election disputes. Richard earned his Bachelor of Laws from Bond University in 1996, followed by a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the College of Law, Sydney, and a Graduate Diploma in Labour Law (MBA) from the University of Melbourne. He was admitted to the Victorian Bar in 1999 and has contributed to the profession as a member of the Law Institute of Victoria Workplace Relations Executive Committee.
Principal
ARCHER THOMPSON LAWYERS
Dec 2012 - Present • 13 years 11 months
Head of Employment Law / Workplace Relations - Corporate & Commercial
Wisewould Mahony
Dec 2008 - Dec 2013 • 5 years
Director
ARCHER THOMPSON LAWYERS
Dec 2005 - Dec 2009 • 4 years
Partner
Norton White Lawyers
Dec 2003 - Dec 2006 • 3 years
Senior Associate
Lander & Rogers
Dec 2001 - Dec 2004 • 3 years
Barrister
Victorian Bar
Dec 1998 - Dec 2002 • 4 years
Lawyer
MinterEllison
Dec 1997 - Dec 1999 • 2 years
Solicitor - Phillips Fox
DLA Piper
Dec 1996 - Dec 1998 • 2 years
Senior Industrial Relations Advisor - Victorian Employers' Chamber of Commerce & Industry (VECCI)
Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Dec 1990 - Dec 1994 • 4 years
Industrial Relations Advisor, Victorian Employers' Federation (VEF)
Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Dec 1988 - Dec 1991 • 3 years
Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.)
Bond University
Bar Readers
Victorian Bar
1998
Graduate Diploma, Labour Relations Law
University of Melbourne
1998
Graduate Diploma, Legal Practice
The College of Law Australia
1995
International Trade Law
Leiden University
1994
Scotch College, Melbourne
1984
Last checked: 15 May 2026 • Checked with Victorian Legal Services
