Simon Meehan SC

Call 2003 / Silk 2023

+61 2 9223 1522
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Background

Simon is a Director of State Chambers and its most recently appointed Senior Counsel. He has been widely recognised in the Legal 500 Asia Pacific Australian Bar Guide, the Doyle’s Guide and in Who’s Who Legal Australia over many years for his specialist expertise in all aspects of workplace relations, employment law and work health and safety law.

Simon is often briefed in complex and lengthy matters, including where urgent interlocutory relief is sought. He provides effective representation in superior jurisdictions at both trial and appellate level including in the Federal Court of Australia and the Supreme Court of New South Wales, and regularly appears in matters relating to breach of contract, restraints of trade, employee ‘whistleblower’ protection claims, general protections and adverse action claims, protection of confidential information and discrimination. Simon’s expertise extends to employment law class actions.

Simon is regarded as a leading practitioner in the Fair Work Commission where he maintains a substantial appellate practice and has recognised expertise in the broad range of matters regulated by the Fair Work Act within the Commission’s jurisdiction. He is well placed to advise on the significant recent and foreshadowed amendments to the Fair Work legislation.

Simon has worked across a wide array of industries for major, blue-chip Australian corporations operating in industries including the black coal, steel, metalliferous mining, rail transport, airline, banking and finance, tertiary education, postal and logistics, shipping and stevedoring, energy and power, building, civil construction and contracting industries. He also advises both State and Federal Governments.

Complementing his core areas of practice, Simon also represents clients in commercial law and equity matters as diverse as partnership disputes, ‘just and equitable’ winding up of companies, contract disputes, as well as regulatory law matters. He is briefed in relation to inquests and inquiries and appeared in the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Insurance Industry. He is valued by his clients for his highly developed forensic and analytical skills, strong command of the key legal issues, ability to deliver cogent and concise legal arguments, as well as the guidance he provides during the conduct of litigation.

Prior to joining the Bar in 2003, Simon practised for 8 years as a solicitor in a leading national law firm. He holds a Master of Laws, a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Economics.

Principal Areas Of Practice

Accolades

  • 2027 The Best Lawyers in Australia – Recognised – Labour and Employment Law
  • 2026 Lexology Index –Recommended – Australia & New Zealand – Labour, Employment & Benefits
  • 2026: Doyles Guide – Recommended Employment Law Senior Counsel, Australia
  • 2026: Doyles Guide – Leading Employment Law Senior Counsel, NSW
  • 2026: Doyles Guide – Leading Workplace Health and Safety Law Senior Counsel, NSW
  • 2025: Doyles Guide – Leading Employment Law Senior Counsel, NSW
  • 2025: Doyles Guide – Leading Workplace Health and Safety Law Senior Counsel, NSW
  • 2023: Doyles Guide – Leading Workplace Health and Safety Counsel, NSW
  • 2022 – 2023: Doyles Guide – Leading Employment Law Junior Counsel, Australia
  • 2020 – 2023: Who’s Who Legal Australia – Leading practitioner in Labour, Employment & Benefits
  • 2015 – 2023: Doyles Guide – Leading Employment & Industrial Relations Junior Counsel, NSW
  • 2012 – 2013: Doyles Guide – Preeminent Employment & Workplace Relations Junior Counsel, NSW

Select Recent Matters

Regulatory

Commercial

  • Hopper v D J Sincock Pty Ltd [2021] NSWCA 305
    Appeared for the successful appellant in an appeal against a decision of the District Court in relation to whether the appellant had an implied contractual right of indemnity as a guarantor under a refinance agreement.

Discrimination

General Protections / Whistleblower

  • Dorsch v HEAD Oceania Pty Ltd [2025] FCA 854

    Appeared for HEAD Oceania in successfully defending an application by Mr Dorsch for leave to appeal against a decision that he pay HEAD Oceania’s costs in the first instance proceedings

  • Rolfe v Pinnacle ACT Pty Ltd [2025] FCA 638

    Appeared for the Rolfes in relation to their claim for dispensation from pleading rules in respect of their defence to a cross claim, on the grounds of privilege against self-incrimination or exposure to civil penalty. 

  • Mount v Dover Castle Metals Pty Ltd [2025] FCA 101
    Appeared for Dover Castle Metals in successfully defending proceedings brought by its former CEO alleging contravention of the Corporations Act whistleblower protections, and claims for breach of contract arising from his summary dismissal.

Work Health and Safety and Enquiries

  • Inspector General of the Australian Defence Force MRH-90 Inquiry
    Appeared for Thales Australia in the IGADF Inquiry into the the circumstances and causes of death of four Australian military personnel arising from the catastrophic crash of an Australian Army MRH-90 Taipan helicopter while conducting night-time training during Exercise Talisman Sabre.
  • SafeWork NSW v Grasso [2022] HCASL (led by IM Neil SC)
    Appeared for Grasso in the successful defence of an application or special leave to appeal against the decision of NSW Court of Criminal Appeal to overturn his conviction.

Restraint of Trade

Employment / Industrial / Workplace Relations

  • Application by the Transport Workers’ Union of Australia [2026] FWCFB 167
    Appeared for Australia Post Group in proceedings before a Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission in relation to an Application by the Transport Workers’ Union for a minimum standards order under Part 3A-2 of the Fair Work Act 2009. The decision involved consideration of the ‘road transport objective’ and ‘minimum standards objective’ for ‘employee like workers’ under Part 3A-2 of the Act.

  • New South Wales Nurses and Midwives’ Association v Health Secretary [2026] NSWIRComm 4

    Appeared on behalf of the NSW Health Secretary in a major industrial arbitration case before a Full Bench of the Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales in which the Association’s claims for enhanced wages and other terms and conditions of employment for NSW public sector nurses and midwives were arbitrated.

  • Fair Work Ombudsman v Jats Joint Pty Ltd [2026] FCAFC 25

    Appeared for Jats Joint in successfully defending an appeal by the Fair Work Ombudsman to the Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia against a decision of a single Judge of the Federal Court dealing with whether performing a ‘sleepover’ at a client’s premises (in the home care sector) was to be treated as ‘work on a night shift’ under the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award, as it stood in 2020 – 2021.

  • State Wage Case 2025 (No. 2) [2025] NSWIRComm 33

    Appeared for the NSW Industrial Relations Secretary in the second State Wage Case 2025 decision dealing with whether there should be variations to the Award Making Principles, and whether the paid rates adjustment mechanism provided for in the principles should be retained and if so, the quantum of the paid rates adjustment for 2025–26.

  • Application by the Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union [2025] FWC 2115

    Appeared for Bartter Enterprises Pty Ltd in relation to an application by the Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union for a regulated labour hire arrangement order under section 306E of the Fair Work Act 2009 in respect of work performed at Bartter’s poultry processing plant in Mareeba, Queensland.

  • Health Services Union v Health Secretary (NSW Ambulance) [2025] NSWIRComm 1014
    Appeared for the Health Secretary (on behalf of NSW Ambulance) in an appeal by the Health Services Union before a Full Bench of the Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales against dispute orders and ancillary orders made by a single member of the Commission in response to industrial action taken by NSW paramedics.

Class Actions

Mediations

  • Represented clients in many mediations before Court appointed and private mediators.
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