Employment and industrial relations specialist John Oakes has joined the firm as a partner in our Sydney office, effective 1 August 2018.
John is a strategic, commercial advisor to many national and international companies across a broad range of industries.
In addition to his legal qualifications, John has also worked in senior human resources and industrial relations roles in both the media and construction industries, giving him a broad perspective and extensive strategic and operational expertise.
John’s expertise is in developing tailored employment and industrial relations strategies to meet the needs of a client, project or issue. His track record in the early identification and resolution of conflicts is highly regarded by his clients, as is his practical and commercial approach.
John joins us from Watson Mangioni. Prior to this, he was the head of Workplace and Employment at Minter Ellison, as well as International Managing Partner for that firm.
As part of the firm’s global Labour & Employment team, John will work closely with Perth-based partner Bruno Di Girolami, as well as others across the firm’s global network. He will also work with the head of our Australian Asia Desk, Tony Chong, in advising companies on employment issues throughout the region.
“My move to Squire Patton Boggs was prompted by the increasing globalisation of workforces and the expansion of many Asia Pacific headquartered organisations across the region,” said John Oakes. “Legal advisers need a strong network like the Squire Patton Boggs platform in order to support their clients. I am also very impressed with some of the innovative programs that the Labour & Employment team has developed for their clients, such as the recent Asia Pacific clinic, which brought clients together with specialists from multiple jurisdictions.”
Squire Patton Boggs managing partner Campbell Davidson said: “John’s extensive experience, his pragmatism and his international experience will bring added firepower to our client offering.”