Sheridan is a Partner in our Workplace Team. She is an accomplished senior lawyer with significant experience across the spectrum of employment, workplace relations, industrial relations law, and work, health and safety.
Experience & expertise
An integral part of Sheridan’s practice is advising employers and insurers on their rights and obligations under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) and the Fair Work regulatory framework. She has in-depth knowledge of all associated employment issues, including:
- Preparing employment contracts, policies and procedures
- Termination of employment issues including advice in relation to redundancy, performance management, workplace investigations
- Managing long-term employee absences and return to work issues
- Defence of unfair dismissal, general protections, and discrimination claims at the Federal and State level
- Award coverage issues and underpayment claims
- Right of entry and enterprise bargaining
- Workplace incidents or near miss, advice in respect of work health and safety compliance including psychosocial risks to health and safety, response to WorkSafe Victoria notices and investigations
- Defence of WorkSafe Victoria prosecutions under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic) and Energy Safe Victoria prosecutions under the Electricity Safety Act 1998 (Vic).
Her clients value her practical approach and ability to provide outcome-focused advice that meets commercial and strategic objectives.
After her admission to practice as a solicitor in 2003, Sheridan exclusively practised in the area of personal injuries law (workers’ compensation) for several years in the public and private sectors representing the Victorian WorkCover Authority and its insurer panel.
After obtaining her Masters Degree in Employment and Labour Relations Law in 2010, Sheridan’s practice has focussed on the spectrum of employment, labour relations, and safety law. In early 2012, Sheridan worked at the Fair Work Commission (then called Fair Work Australia) where she gained valuable insight into the inner workings of Australia’s workplace relations Tribunal.
Sheridan brings a high level of technical skill to our team, as demonstrated by her accreditation as a Workplace Relations Specialist by the Law Institute of Victoria in 2014. She brings a commercial and pragmatic approach and is not afraid to “think outside of the box” to resolve disputes.
Work highlights
- Representing a Commonwealth Government Department in respect of a discrimination claim under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia where the application was summarily dismissed (2026)
- Representing an employer in respect of a work, health and safety investigation by WorkSafe Victoria following an onsite fatality where WorkSafe Victoria determined to take no action (2025 – 2026)
- Representing two companies in respect of appeals against sentence brought by the Director of Public Prosecutions in the County Court of Victoria in work, health and safety matters (2024)
- Representing an employer in one of the first workplace manslaughter prosecutions brought in Victoria under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (2023 – 2025)
- Representing a manufacturing employer in multiple work, health and safety prosecutions alleging safety breaches relating to machinery used to bend and manipulate steel (2023 – 2025)
- Representing a company in a work, health and safety prosecution alleging safety breaches relating to a fall from height (2022 – 2024)
- Representing an employer in a Victorian Supreme Court proceeding prosecuting a claim against former employees for breaching their post-employment restraint obligations (2023 -2024)
- Representing a dental practice in defence of a general protections application in the Federal Circuit Court, successfully establishing the applicant was engaged as an independent contractor and was not employed, and therefore no breach of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) was established (2019)
- Representing a Public Health Service in a Federal Court of Australia underpayment claim which is a leading decision in the Victorian public health sector concerning construction and interpretation enterprise agreements (2016)
- Representing a Public Health Service in an unfair dismissal application before the Fair Work Commission, successfully defending the application and subsequent appeal application and obtaining costs orders in both matters (2014).
Professional background
