Paul O'Halloran
Paul O'Halloran cover
Paul O'Halloran

Paul O'Halloran

Partner & Head of Office Dentons Australia

location
Melbourne, VIC
Click to Reveal Phone Number04359351..

About Paul

Paul O'Halloran is a distinguished Partner in the Employment & Safety team and serves as the Melbourne Head of Office at Dentons. With an unwavering commitment, Paul expertly navigates complex employment disputes for employers, achieving remarkable success with a 100% win or settlement rate over the past four years. His expertise is trusted in handling high-stakes employee exits, enterprise bargaining disputes, union strategies, and a broad spectrum of matters including anti-discrimination, bullying, whistleblower issues, safety investigations, prosecutions, and international workforce transitions. Paul brings substantial litigation experience in unfair dismissal advocacy, general protections, and restraint of trade litigation, as well as dealing with discrimination and common law contractual disputes across State and Federal Courts and Tribunals. His practice focuses on clients in the health, aged care, childcare, education, technology, logistics, faith-based, and labour hire sectors. A thought leader in employment law, Paul regularly contributes to national publications, speaks at seminars, and shares insights on radio and television. He is also the founder of the monthly IR Insights podcast at Dentons. Paul's career spans several prominent roles, including Partner positions at Colin Biggers & Paisley and FCB Group, and significant contributions as a Senior Associate at Rigby Cooke Lawyers. Earlier in his career, he served in judicial and client service management roles at the Supreme Court of Victoria and the Family Court of Australia. Paul's educational background is as impressive as his professional achievements. He is pursuing a Masters of Law in Innovation, Technology, and the Law at the University of Edinburgh and has completed advanced studies at Northwestern University. His credentials also include a Master of Laws in Employment & Labour Relations Law from the University of Melbourne and an honours degree in Law from Macquarie University. Paul holds an Advanced Diploma in Business from RMIT University, underscoring a well-rounded foundation for his impactful legal career.

Practice Areas

Employment Law

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Resume

Experience

Client Services Manager
Client Services Manager
Family Court of Australia
Jan 1970 - Jan 2009 · 39 years
Judicial Services Manager
Judicial Services Manager
Supreme Court of Victoria
Jan 1970 - Jan 2007 · 37 years
Partner and Head of Office
Partner and Head of Office
Dentons
Sep 2022 - Present · 3 years 7 months
Partner
Partner
Colin Biggers & Paisley
Jul 2017 - Sep 2022 · 5 years 2 months
Partner
Partner
FCB Group
Jul 2014 - Jul 2017 · 3 years
Senior Associate
Senior Associate
FCB Group
Aug 2013 - Jul 2014 · 11 months
Senior Associate
Senior Associate
Rigby Cooke Lawyers
Jan 2010 - Aug 2013 · 3 years 7 months
Lawyer
Lawyer
Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Jan 2009 - Jan 2010 · 1 year
Associate
Associate
Federal Circuit Court of Australia
Jan 2001 - Jan 2005 · 4 years

Education

AI Strategies for Business Transformation: Generative and Agentic Intelligence
AI Strategies for Business Transformation: Generative and Agentic Intelligence
Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management
2026 - 2026
Masters of Law, Innovation, Technology and the Law
Masters of Law, Innovation, Technology and the Law
University of Edinburgh Law School
2026 - 2029
Master of Laws (LL.M.), Employment & Labour Relations Law
Master of Laws (LL.M.), Employment & Labour Relations Law
University of Melbourne
2010 - 2013
LLB (Hons), Law
LLB (Hons), Law
Macquarie University
2004 - 2007
Adv Dip Business
Adv Dip Business
RMIT University
1998 - 2000

Awards

2024
Nominated for Employment Partner of the Year award
Lawyers Weekly
2024
Nominated for Mentor of the Year award
Lawyers Weekly
2021
Nominated for Australian Law Awards, Partner of the Year
Lawyers Weekly

Contact Information

Melbourne, VIC

LocationLevel 43, 600 Bourke St, Melbourne, VIC
Click to Reveal Phone Number04359351..

Practice Certificate

Name
Paul O'Halloran
Specialisations
Workplace Relations
Certification type
Employee without Trust
Region
VIC
CheckLast checked: 28 Apr 2026
Checked with the Victorian Legal Services Board

Practice Categories

Employment Law
  • Disputes
  • Unfair Dismissal
  • Workers Compensation