- Firm appoints new partner Jeremy Hanrahan to workplace relations and safety practice
- Demand for construction-related legal expertise grows amid challenging times for construction and infrastructure sectors
Lander & Rogers this week announced the appointment of new partner Jeremy Hanrahan to its leading national workplace relations and safety practice. Based in Sydney, the former Group Head of Industrial Relations at Lendlease will grow the national construction-sector offering.
The move, the firm says, comes in response to increasing demand for legal expertise from Australia's troubled construction and infrastructure sectors, which has seen the collapse of several major commercial and residential operators in recent months amid worsening economic conditions.
With the removal of industrial relations code regulation and plans to shut down regulator the Australian Building and Construction Commission entirely, Mr Hanrahan says business operators will face many challenges, increasing the need for specialised legal advice. "The construction and property sectors are subject to growing pressure, and changes to industrial relations laws will only add to the uncertainty for operators."
According to Mr Hanrahan, "the dismantling of existing industrial relations frameworks means businesses will be forced to reassess policies, systems and structures to operate in a deregulated environment. Operators will require advice in dealing with unions, employees and clients to effectively mitigate and manage IR risks on projects."
Working client-side for the past decade, Mr Hanrahan believes there is a gap in the market for construction-specific legal expertise. "Clients require practical advice that considers implications across a range of business functions including legal, HR, corporate affairs, strategy, operations and more. They aren't just seeking black letter legal advice - clients want to understand the legal answer together with the commercial, reputational and operational risks, and how these are best managed in practical terms."
Mr Hanrahan remarked that Lander & Rogers was well known among clients for its commerciality and culture and for "putting clients' interests first".
Welcoming the new partner, workplace relations and safety practice lead Daniel Proietto noted Mr Hanrahan's experience and contacts in the construction sector would further enhance the national practice's breadth and depth of expertise. "Leveraging private practice and in-house exposure in construction and property sectors over a 20-year career, Jeremy's appointment will significantly improve our ability to service our construction and property sector clients in complex workplace and industrial relations matters."
News of Mr Hanrahan's appointment follows the promotion of 42 lawyers, including seven new partners, in Lander & Rogers' largest ever annual promotions round in July.
