Kate Sheridan
Kate has more than 25 years of experience in private practice and corporate roles. Prior to joining the independent bar, Kate ran her own boutique legal practice Sheridan Legal (VIC) Pty Ltd for 5 years. Prior to that she was Special Counsel at Macpherson Kelley and Australian Industry (AI) Group providing employers with representation and advice on industrial and employee relations matters, including enterprise bargaining, industrial relations strategy, termination of employment, compliance issues in respect of minimum obligations, rights of entry, transfer of business, dispute and grievance management and industrial action. Prior to this Kate was an in-house Legal Adviser at Oz Minerals and Lawyer at Minter Ellison.
Admitted
2006 Supreme Court of South Australia
2010 High Court of Australia
Signed Bar Roll
2022 Bar Reader
2023 Signed Bar Roll, South Australia
2023 Signed Bar Roll, Victoria
Academic Qualifications
Bar Readers’ Course, Bar Association of South Australia, 2023
LLM, Melbourne University, Melbourne, 2014
Graduate Diploma Legal Practice, Law Society of South Australia, 2006
LLB, Deakin University, Melbourne, 2005
BBus, South Australian Institute of Technology
Areas of Practice
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Arbitration
Mediation
Common Law/Personal Injury
Workers Compensation
Criminal
Work Health and Safety
Employment Law/Industrial Relations
Appellate
Disciplinary Proceedings, Jurisdictional Arguments & Employment Claims
Employment Contracts and Restraint of Trade
Industrial Disputes and Statutory Employment Rights
Contraventions of Employment Legislation and Penalty Hearings
Public Sector Appeals
Work, Health & Safety
Workplace Strategy on Industrial Dispute Issues & Enterprise Bargaining
Disputes in relation to Contractor versus Employment arrangements
Sexual Harassment & Bullying Claims & Investigations
Other
Member of the Victorian Bar
Member of SA Bar Association
Member of the Women Barristers Association
Member of the Industrial Bar Association
Member of the Law Society of SA
Member of the International Association on Workplace Bullying & Harassment
Past co-chair of the Workplace Relations Committee for the Law Institute of Victoria, Melbourne
Seminars, Training Sessions & Articles
2026 Local Organising Committee – 15th Biannual International Conference of the International Association on Workplace Bullying and Harassment, Canberra, Australia.
Recent and/or Significant Cases
Kate has made regular appearances in Federal Circuit Court, Mediations and Fair Work Commission disputes and jurisdictional matters.
Clarke v Beiler Constructions Pty Ltd as trustee for Fox Trading Trust [2026] FCA 734 – [Sexual Harassment and modern award contravention findings]
Nash v RPM Automotive Holdings & Finkelstein [2025] FWC 3800 – [Jurisdictional dispute determining contractor arrangement]
Nash v RPM Automotive Holdings & Finkelstein – [Full Bench appeal awaiting decision]
FWO v SAI Enterprises Pty Ltd [2025] FedCFamC2G 1372 – [Penalty hearing on award contraventions]
Cellarbrations Walkley Heights [2023] SALC 49 – [Review of licensing decision (led by Michael Roder KC)]
Geber Super Pty Ltd v The Barossa Assessment Panel [2023] SASC 154 – [Judicial review of panel’s decision to approve tourist accommodation (led by Michael Roder KC)]
Campbell v Dial A Tow Australia Pty Ltd (ACN 084 260 775) and AHRNS Handling Equipment Pty Ltd (ACN 052 455 339) [2022] SAET 124 – [WHS penalty hearing (led by Brian Austin)]
Restraint of trade proceedings in the Supreme Court of Victoria – [Defence to interlocutory application]
Application by Australian Workers’ Union, The [2016] FWC 6126
O’Grady v Hillside Parade Racing & Breeding Pty Ltd [2016] FWC 2491
“Automotive, Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing and Kindred Industries Union” known as the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU) v Agilent Technologies Australia Pty Ltd [2015] FWC 2952
Various Sexual harassment mediations, workplace advice on matters including restraint of trade, employee disputes
Conducting Workplace investigations