Alexandra Grayson

Alexandra (Alex) Grayson is a Principal Lawyer who manages the Employment and Industrial Relations Practice of Maurice Blackburn’s Sydney office. She has almost 20 years’ experience in industrial relations, including almost a decade as a labour lawyer.

Qualification(s)

LLB, BComm (Industrial Relations and Management)

The prestigious Doyles Guide lists Alex as a Leading Employment Lawyer for employee & trade union representation in NSW for 2022 and her team as one of the top law firms for employee & trade union representation in NSW in 2022.

Alex is a passionate and committed lawyer with a keen interest in social justice and industrial relations. Her clients have included many senior executives within the finance and banking sector, the legal fraternity and in the public sector. She helps people through their difficult times by negotiating with their employers and, if necessary, litigating on their behalf. Alex is particularly skilled in litigation, strategic negotiations, interpreting industrial instruments and contracts, advocacy and providing legal advice to executives. Areas of her practice include advice and representation on workplace bullying, sexual harassment, breach of contract, redundancy situations and restraint of trade issues.

Alex is in a unique position. In addition to her extensive experience as a labour lawyer, she has a deep understanding of what it is to be an executive, as she also sits on the board of the superannuation fund, HostPlus, as a Director.

“Knowing that people of all walks of life need my help and that my help can get them through one of the most difficult times, ie when they are in trouble at work or when they need help on landing a good employment contract or a smooth exit, is what drives me to fight for my clients,” says Alexandra.

“My family has a long history of involvement in industrial relations. It’s a tradition I am proud to continue by working as a labour lawyer, helping people who need assistance in navigating the minefield that is workplace relations.”

Alex has personally advocated cases in the Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales, the Chief Industrial Magistrate’s Court, the Fair Work Commission and the former Australian Industrial Relations Commission. She also appears in the High Court of Australia, the Federal Court of Australia, the Supreme Court of NSW, the Court of Appeal (NSW), the Anti Discrimination Board of NSW, the New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal and the NSW Industrial Court.

Alex has many career highlights, including:

• preventing the Commonwealth Bank of Australia from forcing the entire workforce onto individual contracts, see: Finance Sector Union v Commonwealth Bank of Australia [2000] FCA 1372
• the making by a Full Bench of the Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales of the first Safe Staffing Award for prisons in Australia, see: Crown Employees (Corrective Services NSW — Safe Staffing Levels) Award (369 1-.G. 1228)
• High Court proceedings involving a constitutional challenge to legislation, see: Public Service Association and Professional Officers Association Amalgamated Union of NSW v Director of Public Employment [2012] HCA 58, and
• persuading a Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission to provide a broad interpretation of the concept of the reasonableness of redeployment. see: Pykett v Technical and Further Education Commission [2014] FWCFB 714.

Alex regularly presents at many industry functions and legal seminars and has previously worked at the Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales and tutored in industrial relations at the University of Western Sydney.

Associations, memberships & awards

• Doyles Guide 2022 Preeminent Employment Lawyer, NSW
• The Best Lawyers in Australia - Labour and Employment Law 2021
• Doyle's Guide 2021 Leading Employment Lawyer, Australia
• Doyle's Guide 2021 Leading Employment Lawyer, NSW
• NSW Law Society member
• HostPlus Board Director
• Listed in Doyles Guide 2018
• Listed in Doyles Guide 2017