Giri Sivaraman

Giri is recognised as a preeminent lawyer for employees in Queensland by Doyle's Guide and he is a member of the Law Society of Queensland employment law subcommittee. He is also a QLS accredited specialist in workplace relations and a Law Society of NSW accredited specialist in employment and industrial law.

Giri has 20 years’ experience providing a full range of legal services to executive and employment law clients including CEOs of ASX 200 listed companies, the CEO of a prominent NGO, the CEO of a large software developer, executives in the financial and banking sectors, medical professionals, senior public servants, senior marketing executives and incorporated associations.

"I would like to thank you for your counsel and letter to my employer which I am told was a pivotal part of their decision process."  
- Explosives worker    

Giri sees clients throughout Queensland and provides advice and legal representation in all areas of employment law including workplace bullying, employment contracts, redundancy, restraint of trade, workplace discrimination, sexual harassment, adverse action, and unfair dismissal. He is also experienced in representing employees including very senior executives who are the subject of workplace investigations and disciplinary processes.

Giri has negotiated a number of significant out of court settlements, and notes that the vast majority of his cases are successfully settled without going to court. He is conscious of the discretion required when dealing with people’s livelihood and reputation, noting that legal action is not often something a client will want splashed across the front page of the major newspapers. 

His significant cases include:

• headed the pro bono scheme for underpaid 7-Eleven workers run by Maurice Blackburn
• bringing one of the first successful adverse action cases under the new Fair Work Act representing an aircraft engineer who had his work rights breached
• representing Aid/Watch in the High Court, successfully challenging the Australian Taxation Office’s decision to deny it charitable status. This case significantly altered Australian tax law and enabled many charities to retain their charitable status
• successfully resolved breach of contract claim for CEO of multinational software company
• winning a discrimination case on behalf of a Senior police officer dismissed for discriminatory reasons
• defending and assisting the CEO of an ASX 200 company in response to serious allegations of harassment, and
• appeared before the Commonwealth Government Parliamentary Inquiry into corporate avoidance of the Fair Work Act.

Giri’s influence as a thought leader in employment law is also well recognised. He has written on employment law issues for Fairfax and News Corporation publications, as well as legal and employment specialist journals. He has appeared before NSW, Queensland and Commonwealth parliamentary committee inquires into employment issues such as bullying, sexual harassment, underpayments and the gig economy.

Memberships & Accreditations 

• Queensland Law Society | Member
• Queensland Law Society | Industrial Law Committee Chair
• Multicultural Australia | Queensland Migrant Support Services | Board Chair
• Federal Court of Australia | Employment & Industrial Relations NPA | User Group Member

Awards

• Doyle's Guide | QLD Preeminent Employment Lawyer | 2017 - 2023
• Doyle's Guide | AUS Leading Employment Lawyer | 2017 - 2023
• Queensland Law Society | Queensland Solicitor of the Year (Large) | Excellence in Law Awards 2023 

Giri in the news

• Workplace laws are holding employees back on flexible work   
• Legal hole allowing discrimination in sport
• How the law could permit the standing down of Christian Porter
• Covid in the workplace – a challenge for employers
• Can Australian employers force workers to get the Covid vaccine?