Michael Yeates

Michael Yeates is a Special Counsel bringing over 18 years of experience as an Employment and WHS Law practice solicitor. He specialises in advising and counselling a diverse range of clients, from SME to national and international employers as well as individual employees on employment law, industrial relations, discrimination, WHS, and privacy matters. Michael has a proven record in managing workplace disputes, delivering high-quality advisory, litigation, and training services.

 

His expertise extends to responding to emergency incidents, ensuring regulatory compliance, and defending clients in litigious proceedings across various sectors including IT, mining, construction, financial services, retail, engineering, and manufacturing. Michael is skilled in conducting workplace investigations, guiding organisational restructuring, and representing clients at Fair Work Commission and Federal Court level. He also has experience in drafting and reviewing employment agreements and workplace policies.

 

Notably, before coming to Sydney, Michael spent a significant portion of his career as a Practice Director at a prestigious large law firm in South Africa, where he specialised in OHS, Employment Law, and Corporate Immigration. Notably, Michael served as an Acting Judge (Ad Hoc) for the South African Labour Court.

 

Michael's contributions to the legal field have been recognised internationally, including receiving Lexology Client Choice Awards and listings in Legal 500 and Chambers. He achieved a landmark victory in the Constitutional Court of South Africa on a case establishing the constitutional test for indirect racism in the workplace.

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Michael holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Johannesburg.