Jane acts for businesses and government across Australia in WHS litigation, criminal prosecutions, advising on safety systems and board-level risks drawing on over 28 years of experience and time as an executive in a WHS regulator.

Biography

Jane acts for businesses and government bodies across a range of high-risk industries including major projects, construction, infrastructure, agribusiness, health, transport and logistics. She advises boards and leadership teams on WHS risk, compliance and licence to operate.

Jane takes a forward-looking approach, advising government and commercial clients on the legal risks facing both organisations and their directors. This guidance extends across the full spectrum of business activity, from core services and major projects to procurement, mergers and acquisitions, governance frameworks, reporting obligations, and periods of organisational change.

Jane is a steady, experienced hand in guiding clients through the complexities that arise when serious incidents occur. This includes managing WHS prosecutions across multiple jurisdictions and advises on the full range of regulatory engagement. She has managed more than 600 investigations and 300 prosecutions by safety regulators and obtained acquittals for both companies and managers.

Jane’s matters span major national and international organisations and large government agencies facing WHS investigations and prosecutions across multiple jurisdictions and industries. She has undertaken a review for the Commonwealth Department of Jobs and Small Business examining the effectiveness of WHS laws in preventing the top three causes of fatalities in building and construction and provided advice to Safe Work Australia on the Best Practice Review.

Jane’s combined experience as a practitioner and former WHS regulatory executive is rare in the market. Her experience gives her a unique perspective on how regulators approach investigations and prosecutions. Clients consistently identify her ability to navigate the complex and sensitive nature of serious incident response with both technical precision and composure.

Credentials

Academic qualifications:

Memberships:

Jane's experience

Construction

Advising on serious incidents (including death) in the construction sector which are under investigation in Victoria and New South Wales.

Major food producer — Multi-state investigations and prosecutions

Acting for one of Australia’s largest meat and food producers in WHS investigations and prosecutions across New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland arising from high-profile safety incidents.

National childcare provider — Regulator investigation

Advising a national childcare provider on an investigation by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland following the death of a worker at a childcare centre.

Global logistics provider — Supply chain WHS risk

Advising a global leader in cold storage and logistics on WHS and transport safety legal risks associated with contractor engagement in the supply chain.

Awards, recognition and ranking