Simone Bingham
- Qualifications:
- Bachelor of Laws; Bachelor of Arts; Masters of Employment and Labour Relations Law (Melb)
- Chambers:
- Level 3 Room 6
Owen Dixon Chambers West
525 Lonsdale Street Melbourne - Telephone:
- 03 9225 6975
- Mobile Phone:
- 0417 289 097
- Facsimile:
- 03 9225 8668
- Signed Bar Roll:
- 2003
- Admitted in Victoria:
- 1999
- Also Admitted:
- New South Wales, Queensland and the High Court of Australia
- E-Mail:
- sbingham@vicbar.com.au
Practice Profile
Simone commenced work in legal practice in 1989 as a five year Articled Clerk and was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland in 1994. From 1989-96 Simone worked in a general commercial practice and obtained experience in a wide range of commercial matters including agency, sale of goods, retail shop and general leases, sale and purchase of businesses, winding up and bankruptcy and succession including TFM cases. During 1996 Simone commenced working in the firm’s industrial litigation section.
From 1997-2000 Simone worked as an in-house lawyer in three national trade unions running industrial litigation. In 2000 Simone joined Maurice Blackburn Cashman Lawyers as an Associate.
Simone is an experienced mediator and a member of the Law Institute of Victoria’s Workplace Relations Specialisation Advisory Committee. In addition to her undergraduate degrees in Arts and Law Simone also holds a Masters in Labour Relations Law from the University of Melbourne.
In 2003 Simone's pro bono work on the Childcarers' case was recognised with a Highly Commended Award in the Law category of the 2003 Human Rights Awards sponsored by the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission.
Memberships
- Law Institute of Victoria's Workplace Relations Specialisation Advisory Committee
- Industrial Law Bar Association
Liability limited by a scheme approved under the Professional Standards Legislation.
Commercial Law
Since signing the Bar Roll Simone has predominately practiced in employment law, industrial relations law, discrimination law and commercial law. The matters in which she has been involved have included:
Victorian Pay Equity Inquiry (Member of and Legal Advisor to the URCOT research team that prepared the Research Paper into pay equity in Victoria)
Work place Inquiry (Investigator in an inquiry into the behaviour of employees in a department in a major non government organisation on the issues of workplace bullying, sexual harassment and inappropriate workplace behaviour)
Work place Inquiry (Investigator in an inquiry into the behaviour of senior employees at a workplace function of a large not for profit organsiation. The terms of reference of the inquiry required a determination as to whether the conduct was in contravention of policy, the Bullying Guidance Note and the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and the making of recommendations based upon the findings)
Work place Inquiry (Investigator in an inquiry into the workplace behaviour of a managerial employee in a large retailer. The terms of reference of the inquiry required a determination as to whether the conduct was in contravention of policy, the Bullying Guidance Note and the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and the making of recommendations based upon the findings)
Workplace Inquiry (Investigator in inquiries appointed by a public sector organisation into workplace behaviour of employees. The terms of reference of the inquiry required a determination by the investigator as to whether the conduct complained of occurred and if so whether it was in contravention of the Public Sector Standards, organisation policy, the Bullying Guidance Note and the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and the making of recommendations based upon the findings.)
Representation in Bullying Inquiry (Representing and advising a public official alleged to have engaged in bullying .The finding of the investigator was that the allegations against the client were unfounded.)
Advice to senior executives of a publicly listed company on exit strategies and exit packages (advice on and negotiating outcomes and appearing at on mediations for senior executives exiting high profile publicly listed companies) (Junior Counsel to Dr Kris Hanscombe SC)
Advice to regarding FOI obligations to a Federal Government Authority (Junior Counsel to Peter Hanks QC)
Prosecuting breaches of the Legal Practice Act (Acting on behalf of the Ombudsman in a prosecution of a solicitor for unsatisfactory conduct)
Acting on behalf of the Victorian Taxi directorate with respect to administrative review of decisions to suspend or revoke the licenses of taxi drivers. (Victorian Taxi Directorate –v- Botting Magistrates Court of Victoria)
Interlocutory Injunctions in the Supreme Court and Industrial Magistrates Court (enforcement of post employment restraints both restraint of trade and misuse of confidential information and trade secrets )
Supreme Court Proceedings on the Whistleblowers Protection Act 2001 Owens –v- University of Melbourne and Ors [2008] VSC 174
Supreme Court Proceedings – Resisting reopening of a judgement Lollis –v- Loulatzis [2008] VSC 231,
Reasonable Notice and breach of Contract Cases (both plaintiff and defendant representation Ketchell –v- Venture Australia Pacific (successful claim in excess of $70 000 - Industrial Magistrates Court 2008 ) and Willox –v- Philip Morris (successful claim for $100 000.0 – Industrial Magistrates Court 2008 Butcher –v- Austin Health successful claim in excess of $40 000.00 – Industrial Magistrates Court)
Advice on the application of Public Administration Act 2004 and the Public Sector Employment Principles Standard (No1) 2006 and Guidelines to employers who are public entities. (Junior to Herman Borenstein SC)
Unfair and Unlawful dismissals (for example Powerlab –v- Georgiadis PR963162 (Junior to Michael Mc Donald SC), Barrett-v-Fyna Foods PR 966476 , Bastecky –v Investa[2007] AIRC 776., Sattout –v- Toyota Corporation [2009] AIRC 412)
Unlawful Discrimination matters in VCAT, Federal Magistrates Court and Federal Court including drawing and settling complaints and responses, statements of claims and appearing at hearings and mediations/conciliations and appearing on strike out applications.
