Having honed his craft across private practice, government and industry associations, Tom Earls founded Fair Work Lawyers in 2014 as a firm to represent businesses – especially SMEs – and their interests.

Tom has been involved in industrial relations for over two decades – starting well prior to the tumultuous WorkChoices-era – and has been at the forefront of the various iterations of workplace law since. During this time, he has been at the cutting-edge of workplace relations matters, spanning industrial action, enterprise agreements, unfair and unlawful dismissals, making, varying and interpreting awards, right of entry, transfer of business, or any of the myriad of other matters that comprise the field of workplace relations, often in an intense industrial environment.

Tom is known for his direct, plain English and no-nonsense approach with a focus on practical and cost-effective solutions. This, combined with a strong foundation of technical knowledge and attention for detail, has seen him successfully represent clients across a wide range of matters. These matters include countless enterprise agreements and dismissal-related matters, a wide range of matters from workers compensation disputes to safety prosecutions to discrimination to common law damages claims, as well as Full Bench and Full Court appeals, State and Federal and including setting key precedents across those fields.

In addition to employment and industrial matters, Tom has developed extensive experience across a range of construction and commercial matters that complement the firm’s business focus. This includes advising and negotiating on contracts and related documents, as well as successfully representing clients in commercial and building disputes in the Magistrate, District, Supreme and Federal Courts. He has particular expertise in security of payment matters, and an enviable record representing both claimants and respondents.

Prior to commencing Fair Work Lawyers, Tom was the Master Builders Association of South Australia’s industrial and legal manager, where he developed a rarely found bank of historical knowledge and practical insights into industry. Prior to this, he worked as an advisor to the Federal government and started his career with one of Australia’s leading private industrial advocate firms, First IR Pty Ltd (subsequently IR Australia Pty Ltd).