Emma Warden

Special Counsel

she/her

Emma is an employment and health and safety law specialist, whose expertise spans both contentious and non-contentious issues. She also specialises in public law and education law.

Emma advises both private and public sector employers on all their employment related issues. She regularly drafts employment and health and safety documentation, assists clients with employment due diligence and advises on the employment related aspects of taking on new staff or buying or transferring a business. She advises clients with employment issues arising in the context of receiverships and helps employers to carry out restructuring, poor performance and disciplinary processes, including employment investigations. She also represents clients at mediation, the Employment Relations Authority, and the Employment Court.

Emma enjoys helping clients identify pragmatic ways to manage and resolve complex employment and health and safety matters. She understands the media, political and reputational risks facing many of her clients and helps them to manage and minimise those risks.

Emma also assists public sector and education sector clients to comply with their statutory obligations, including under their governing legislation and the Official information Act.

Ranked as a Rising Star for Labour and Employment by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, Emma is praised by clients for her ability to understand the issues they are facing and work with them to find a practical solution

Career highlights

Assisting a range of clients navigating complex issues arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic and its interplay with employment, health and safety, and privacy law. Key areas of advice and support includes restructures, Government subsidy schemes, vaccination mandates, dismissals for unvaccinated employees, and associated disputes.

Advising clients on employment matters in the various stages of corporate transactions, including due diligence, sale and purchase agreement reviews, and employee transfers.

Advising clients through the collective bargaining process including initiation of bargaining, good faith obligations, communications with unions, employees and media, mediation and collective agreement drafting and ratification.

Representing clients in mediation and litigation across the full range of employment related disputes.

Providing a wide range of employment and education law advice to a large state school.

Achievements and recognition
  • Rising Star, Labour and Employment, The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific
  • Tier 1 team, Labour and Employment, The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific