Stephen Hughes

Stephen holds a Bachelor of Laws from University of Queensland & Master of Laws from QUT. He was admitted in Queensland as a solicitor in 1991; and has more than 34 years’ experience working across employment, health & safety and compensation law. Stephen is also admitted in the High Court of Australia.

In the employment law sphere, Stephen acts for select clients across a full range of workplace relations, industrial relations and employment law matters, including enterprise bargaining strategy and rollout, onboarding employees, drafting company policies and procedures, conducting workplace investigations and performance management processes, conducting dismissal and redundancy processes, prosecution and defence of unfair dismissal and adverse action litigation, representation in discrimination, anti-bullying and harassment matters.

Stephen has been a committee member of the LAWASIA employment subcommittee for over 10 yrs.

In the health and safety sphere, Stephen advises on work health and safety compliance, attends critical incidents to manage dutyholder interactions with police, Safework and the State Coroner, and advises on Notifiable Incident notifications, enforceable undertakings and prosecution defences.

In the personal injuries sphere, Stephen is a Queensland Law Society Accredited Specialist (personal injuries) of over 25 years’ standing. Stephen was previously a workers’ compensation & CTP insurer respondent panel lawyer for almost 20 years, before transitioning to claimant representation. Stephen also advises employers in relation to workers’ compensation claims management. When acting for claimants, Stephen sees his role as not only achieving fair compensation for clients but being a caring & trusted partner who guides claimants through the legal process with dignity and compassion.

Stephen is committed to:

– get the best possible outcome for clients, whether that be in relation to a personal injuries or employment law matter;

– be passionate in delivering legal solutions that are accessible, affordable, easy to comprehend and tailored to each client’s needs;

– be sensitive to and cognisant of cultural and ethnic sensitivities and requirements; and

– provide dedicated one-to-one service from start to finish.

Stephen is a regular presenter at CPD events on personal injuries & employment law for providers such as Queensland Law Society, ALA, Legalwise, LexisNexis and Crown Leadership.

Stephen deeply understands the impacts that workplace or accident injury can have on a person’s life and livelihood, both through his extensive legal experience and from serving as an Honorary Board Member and Legal Counsel for the Australian Society of Rehabilitation Counsellors Ltd (ASORC) since 1993. In 2021 Stephen was proud to be awarded an ASORC Honorary Fellowship in recognition of his many decades of service. In 2023, Stephen received an Associations Hall of Fame Award from Associations Forum for his pro bono services to the not-for-profit sector.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Laws from University of Queensland
• Master of Laws from QUT
• Admitted as Solicitor in Supreme Court of Queensland
• Admitted as Solicitor in High Court of Australia

Accreditations:

• Accredited Specialist in Personal Injuries Law QLD

Memberships:

• Member of the Queensland Law Society
• Committee member of the LAWASIA employment subcommittee
• Honorary Board Member of the Australian Society of Rehabilitation Counsellors Ltd (ASORC)