Dentons poaches Seymour for Sydney office | Natasha Doris

The legal behemoth has added a former barrister with over 30 years of experience to its Australian disput…

The legal behemoth has added a former barrister with over 30 years of experience to its Australian dispute resolution capabilities.

Dentons has added special counsel Jane Seymour to its Sydney dispute resolution team. The new addition joined the firm from her role as a barrister at 6 St James Hall Chambers, where she specialised in employment law, mediation, workplace relations and workplace investigations.

Seymour has over three decades of experience, and focuses on large, complex inquiries and investigations. She has appeared in cases before the Fair Work Commission, the New South Wales (NSW) Civil and Administrative Tribunal, the Federal Court and the Australian Human Rights Commission. Her work as a mediator has also included experience in all areas of pre-trial compromise and alternate dispute resolution.

She previously worked at Corrs Chambers Westgarth from 1995 until her move to Blake Dawson Waldron (now Ashurst) in 1999. Seymour remained with the firm until her transfer to a partnership at Australian Business Lawyers in 2001, moving on to a director position at Justitia Lawyers & Consultants in 2007 and a partnership at Gadens in 2010, followed by her move to 6 St James Hall Chambers in 2011.

She also took up a position at the Australian Human Rights Commission in 2011 as an advisor on a review the treatment of women in the Australian Defence Force, and worked as manager of employee relations at retailer David Jones from 2013 to 2014, along with a tenure as commissioner and acting commissioner of the NSW Industrial Relations Commission from 2017 until 2019.

Additionally, Seymour led the Corrective Services NSW independent reviews of inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature at the Bathurst and Kirkconnell correctional centres in 2022.

Dentons disputes team head John Dalzell said in a statement: “Although she is best known for her work in complex workplace investigations, tribunals and inquiries, she is also an excellent and well-rounded commercial litigator. Jane’s appointment will greatly enhance the scope of Dentons’ client-offering in our disputes and investigations team.”

In other news, Dentons recruited litigation and dispute resolution, and construction partner Morgan Burris for its Vancouver office earlier in May. The firm also elevated seven dispute resolution lawyers to partner in April across its UK, Middle East and Ireland locations.