Current Practice
Richard Thompson is an experienced commercial lawyer with expert knowledge on all aspects of business law and workplace relations. Richard has 19 years experience in industrial relations, employment law, discrimination law, occupational health and safety. He provides strategic advice on human resources issues and change management including staff training and consultation. Richard can provide legal advice and assistance on:

• the legislative framework for workplace relations in Australia.
  
• discrimination law: representation before anti-discrimination commissions and tribunals, policy advice, staff training.
  
• employment law: termination of employment advice, unfair dismissal, executive contracts, Australian workplace agreements, staff contracts, independent contractor agreements and advice, human resources policies and procedures, due diligence.
  
• industrial relations: restructuring, enterprise bargaining, union issues, industrial action.
  
• occupational health & safety: defend prosecutions, policy advice.
  
• strategic advice: due diligence, corporate restructuring and change management.
  
• workplace training: including appropriate use of technology in the workplace.
  
• workplace investigations, mediation and dispute resolution.

Richard has a substantial practice in commercial law where he specialises in commercial contracts, mergers & acquisitions, sale of business, winding up organisations, commercialisation and competition law.

Background
Before setting up Archer Thompson Richard was managing partner of one of Australia’s oldest law firms and practiced as a barrister of the Victorian Bar.

Before working as a lawyer, Richard was Senior Industrial Relations Advisor at the Victorian Chamber of Commerce & Industry from 1989 to 1994.

Richard has a law degree, graduate diploma in Labour Relations Law from Melbourne University and Legal Practice from the College of Law, Sydney. Richard has been admitted to the Victorian and New South Wales Supreme Court. He  has completed the International Law Program at Leiden University in The Netherlands and was admitted to the Victorian Bar in 1999 after successfully completing the bar reader course.