About Liam
Liam is an admitted lawyer of the State and Commonwealth Courts with over 20 years’ experience in international and group HSEQT and HR leadership roles within ASX 300 organisations. He specialises in workplace health and safety ('WHS'), employment and regulatory law, with a particular focus on complex HR/WHS incidents and regulatory investigations for both civil and criminal law prosecutions. His background includes advising on fatalities, suicides, serious injuries, high-potential, whistleblower and sensitive events with involvement of police agencies, regulatory inspectors and prosecutors within both court and tribunal settings. Further, he advises on industrial relations, discrimination, general protections, damaging action and unfair dismissal matters. Liam represents clients and accepts instructions across all Australian jurisdictions.
Before entering legal practice, Liam held senior executive roles across international construction, mining and oil and gas sectors. He served as a Director and Company Secretary of the Oceania’s largest WHS professional membership and lobbyist organisation, the Australian Institute of Health and Safety. Further, he has been appointed to varying committees of BHP, Fortescue, IRATA International, NOPSEMA, Rio Tinto and RugbyWA. Liam is an elected Councillor of the Law Society of Western Australia and provides his expertise on its Employee Relations Committee.
A graduate of the University of Sydney, Deakin University and Ritsumeikan University (Japan) Law Schools, he has completed further postgraduate studies and was conferred both a Masters of International Law and a Graduate Diploma in International Business Law. After completing his Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice (with Distinction), Liam clerked for the former Attorney-General of Australia Christian Porter, undertaking a range of instructions in relation to State and Commonwealth criminal law proceedings. Liam is completing a Doctorate of Law, with his thesis focused on WHS prosecutions across Commonwealth jurisdictions.
Liam is a well-known and regarded industry speaker across Australian media and varying law publications. His work has been published within domestic and international law journals and has been articled within the United Nations. He was previously awarded the 'National Diversity and Inclusion' Award by the Safety Institute of Australia and shortlisted for Australian Mining's 'Emerging Leader of the Year' and the 'Prime Minister's Veterans' Awards'.
Education
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Masters, International Law (University of Sydney).
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Postgraduate Diploma, International Business Law (University of Sydney).
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Postgraduate Diploma, Legal Practice (College of Law Australia).
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Postgraduate Certificate, Business (University of Western Australia).
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Postgraduate Certificate, Medicolegal Death Investigation (University of North Dakota, USA).
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Postgraduate Certificate, Japanese Law (Ritsumeikan University, Japan).
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Postgraduate Certificate, Occupational Health and Safety (Edith Cowan University).
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Postgraduate Certificate, Professional Legal Studies (Griffith University).
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Bachelors, Laws (Deakin University).
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Diploma, Company Directors Course (Australian Institute of Company Directors).
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Certificate, International Arbitration (Chartered Institute of Arbitrators).
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Certificates, 8 Steps, Essential Factors, HFACS, ICAM and TapRoot Lead Investigator.
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Certificate, Injury Management and Return to Work Coordinator (Scorpion Training).
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Certificate, Phase 1 Independent Children's Lawyer Accreditation Training, Independent Children's Lawyers.
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Certificate, Senior Site Executive, Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety (LGIRS).
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Certificate, ISO Management Systems Lead Auditor (AS/NZS 4801, ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001).
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Admitted to the High Court of Australia (2025).
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Admitted to the Supreme Court of Western Australia (2024).
Memberships and Licensing
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Member, Criminal Lawyers' Association of Western Australia
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Member, Law Society of Western Australia
Publications and Industry Engagement
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6PR Perth Morning Show, Interview with Simon Beaumont, September 2025.
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‘An Australian Perspective - Should the Implied Duty of Confidentiality Be Rejected for International Commercial Arbitrations?’ - The International Journal of Arbitration, Mediation and Dispute Management Volume 86(1); The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law Bibliographies.
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‘Are We There Yet? The Harmonised WHS Laws’- Australian Insurance Law Association keynote, April 2021.
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‘Common Directors, Compounded Risk: WHS Penalties Across Related Companies’ – The Brief, May 2026.
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‘Episode 58’ - WarriorU Podcast with Bram Connolly.
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‘Fatigue Management Legalities and the Future Risks’ - Rio Tinto Iron Ore 3rd Contractor Forum.
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‘How OHS Can Engage Leaders to Deliver Better Diversity/Inclusion Outcomes’ – Safety Institute of Australia.
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‘Innovations on Scaffolding‘ - Australian Health and Safety Podcast.
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‘IRATA International, Industrial Rope Access and Height Safety’ – Australian Institute of Health and Safety.
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‘Making the Right Call to Evacuate’ - International Institute of Risk and Safety Management’s ‘The Sentinel’.
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‘Mental Health Case Study; Retraining Defence Personnel’ – Safety Institute of Australia.
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‘Post-Incident: The Effects on a Family’ - AIHS Perth Symposium 2019 ‘SafetyGenX– 2020 and Beyond’.
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‘Social Impact in the Mining Sector’ – OHS Professional Magazine, December 2018.
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‘The Complications with Australia’s First IM Prosecution’- OHS Professional Magazine, September 2021.
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‘The Expanding Role of HSE Practitioners: Opportunity or Risk?’ – OHS Professional Magazine, June 2025.
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‘The Importance of Incident Investigations’ – Australian Mining Leaders closing keynote, November 2022.
Recent Matters (2026)
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Assisting a medical practitioner who made complaints and enquiries in relation to racist, sexist and derogatory remarks that they were subjected to.
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Assisting multiple clients who have been incorrectly classified as ‘contractors’ and not ‘employees’ to obtain reimbursement of their statutory requirements (such as annual leave, long service leave and superannuation guarantee payments).
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Conducting a range of workplace investigations into fatal events, suicide/self-harm, disabling injuries, high-potential incidents and instances of adverse behaviour.
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Providing detailed guidance for several businesses and community organisations on their Modern Award requirements, including not only identifying non-compliance with varying clauses of varying Awards, but also assisting in their self-reporting to the Fair Work Ombudsman and the Australian Tax Office to avoid penalty payments.
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Representation of a client who was subjected to adverse behaviour from others within their employer. This behaviour was summarised and submitted as a whistleblower complaint. The whistleblower complaint not only provided a positive outcome for the client, but also for the employer who took proactive steps to ensure other staff members would no longer be subjected to the behaviours.
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Representing a client who was subjected to a regulatory investigation with threats by the regulator of further prosecution under the Western Australian electrical legislation.
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Representing clients and assisting in navigating the regulatory process after their employees have been involved workplace fatalities whilst performing working duties.
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Successfully aiding a client in having their employment reinstated, along with a volunteer position, following false accusations of engaging in inappropriate conduct with a child.
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Successfully obtaining a psychosocial workers’ compensation claim for a client who was suffering sustained bullying and harassment from their direct line manager. The claim provided the ability for the client, a single parent with one stream of income, to secure the funding to continue to provide for their family and fund the psychological treatment.
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Successfully securing stop bullying and flexible working arrangement requests from the Fair Work Commission.
