Presenters

Daniel Church, Senior Staff Barrister, Hobson Towers West
Daniel Church is a Senior Staff Barrister in Catherine's team. He graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree with First Class Honours and a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2015, and joined Catherine's practice in early 2017 to further his passion for practising in employment law. Daniel regularly appears as counsel in the Employment Relations Authority and as second counsel to Catherine in the Employment Court. He has also appeared as counsel before the Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal defending charges brought by the Complaints Assessment Committee. Daniel regularly assists clients with investigations in the Employment Relations Authority, mediations, reviewing and amending employment agreements and policies to ensure compliance with current legislation, personal grievances, redundancies and negotiated exits. He has assisted companies with major restructurings and represented them in union negotiations, as well as representing both employers and employees in disciplinary and performance management processes. Daniel also has conflict resolution experience and is able to assist with mediating disputes between employees. He presents seminars at conferences on employment and education law matters which are topical and of particular interest to school leaders.

Kirsti Laird, Senior Associate, SBM Legal Barristers & Solicitors
As a special counsel in our employment team, Kirsti has over 20 years of experience advising on all aspects of employment law. She regularly advises both employers and employees in relation to all aspects of employment relationships, including performance and conduct issues, personal grievances and other disputes, restructuring, whistleblowing and human rights, restraints of trade and negotiated exits. Building upon her many years in practice in the UK, Kirsti has specialist experience in privacy law and the employment aspects of corporate transactions, including the transfer of vulnerable employees. Kirsti’s clients value her strategic and practical advice designed to find solutions to problems that arise in workplaces.