Joydeep Hor

Founder & Managing Principal joydeep.hor@peopleculture.com.au

Joydeep is the Founder & Managing Principal of People + Culture Strategies (“PCS“), Australia’s leading solutions provider in people management law and strategy. He has been for nearly three decades one of Australia’s most high-profile lawyers and legal entrepreneurs.

Academic Qualifications

Educated at Sydney’s Trinity Grammar School, Joydeep completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Sydney where he majored in English literature together with his Bachelor of Laws degree (which he completed with Honours). He then went on to complete a Master of Laws at the same institution, focusing on labour and employment law, having realised early in his career his passion for solving “people problems”.

In 2016, Joydeep graduated from Harvard Business School’s Owner-President Management Program and remains the only Australian lawyer to have completed this program. He has also been a Fellow of the Australian Human Resources Institute for over two decades.

Career Milestones

Joydeep started his career at one of Australia’s largest commercial law firms, before moving to a specialist workplace relations firm where he was made an equity partner at the early age of 28. He was Managing Partner of that firm from 2005 to 2010.

In July 2010, Joydeep founded PCS as a groundbreaking practice in the legal industry. PCS was established to be unlike any other legal firm given its emphasis on working with its clients to prevent disputation and legal problems arising within their organisations, as opposed to being a mere “reactive” provider. PCS now services hundreds of employers across Australia and from around the world (with a strong reputation particularly in handling sensitive employee separation issues, matters of workplace bullying and harassment and developing strategic solutions to organisation’s people management challenges).

PCS is the Australian member firm of international employment law firm alliance Innangard.

Joydeep has served on a range of Boards and committees, including the Audit & Risk Committee for the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office, the Foundation Fundraising Committee’s of Sydney schools Redlands and Abbotsleigh, Executive Womens Business, Northside Community Forum as well as the American Club.

Publications and Presentations

Joydeep’s first book Inside Employee Screening was published in 1999 and he has authored several books since that time, including Managing Workplace Behaviour,  Managing Termination of Employment and Finders Keepers: A Guide to Attracting and Retaining Great Employees and Labour & Employment Law Manual.

A dynamic and charismatic speaker, Joydeep has been a keynote speaker at countless conventions, conferences and industry events and for many years has been appearing on television programs for Channel 7, the ABC, Sky News and most recently on ausbiz.tv as a thought leader and commentator in his areas of expertise (most videos are available in this site’s “Resources” section).

Recognition and Standing

The highly-regarded “Who’s Who Legal: Labour, Employment & Benefits 2020 Edition” recognised Joydeep as a Global Elite Thought Leader in this area of the law, one of only 2 lawyers in Australia and 6 in the entire Asia-Pacific region. It says: “People + Culture Strategies’ “amazingly good lawyer” Joydeep Hor is enthusiastically recommended by peers who describe him as “incredibly strategic: a lateral thinker who is entrepreneurial in his approach, which clients appreciate”.” Joydeep has been ranked as a leading lawyer in Chambers & Partners every year since 2010.

As Australia’s most high-profile international labour and employment lawyer, Joydeep’s international pedigree includes: representing Australia, since 2016, at the prestigious International Forum on Employment Law which he is now also on the Steering Committee of, being a member of the International Advisory Panel of the International Founders & Senior Executives Association, being the only Australian lawyer to be invited to be on the American Employment Law Council and a regular speaker at the AELC’s annual conference in the USA, being on the Advisory Board of respected publication “International Employment Lawyer”, and being a Chartered Fellow of the UK’s CIPD.

Philanthropy

Joydeep is solely responsible for the journey of PCS into one of Australia’s most philanthropic organisations. Under his leadership, PCS has become the Official People Partner of every major sporting organisation in NSW. The PCS logo has appeared on the jersey of the NSW Waratahs rugby team, the dress of the NSW Swifts netball team, at the Sydney Cricket Ground (in support of the Sydney Sixers BBL team) and on countless other sporting jerseys and at stadia.

In 2022, Joydeep assumed the role of Chair of Darlinghurst Theatre Company continuing his significant interest, passion and support for the arts and musical theatre in particular. As an investor, he has co-produced the Broadway musical “Almost Famous” and the 2023 Australian hit, “&Juliet” in addition to sponsoring all Packemin Productions shows since 2017 as well as shows put on by D2 Productions, Bloom and many others.

Michelle Cooper

Director michelle.cooper@peopleculture.com.au

Michelle has practiced solely in the area of workplace relations for over seventeen years. Prior to joining PCS, she worked at a leading Australian law firm. Michelle advises both private and public sector clients in a broad range of industries including transport, retail, finance, property and manufacturing. She focuses on providing timely and practical advice to clients to achieve their business objectives. When disputes arise, Michelle has the skills and experience to guide clients through the litigation process.

Michelle’s areas of expertise include negotiating and drafting employment contacts; performance management of employees; termination of employment, including unfair dismissal and unfair contract proceedings; drafting and interpreting industrial instruments; advising on and implementing redundancies; the employment aspects of mergers and acquisitions; discrimination issues and acting for senior executives.

Michelle has a particular focus on occupational health and safety law, ranging from advising clients on compliance obligations to defending prosecutions. This has included being available to clients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide an immediate response to incidents and being involved in the successful defence of a prosecution against a mining company.

Chris Oliver

Director chris.oliver@peopleculture.com.au

Chris practices exclusively in the area of employment law and industrial relations and prior to joining PCS, worked as a Partner in a global commercial firm. Although assisting employers of every size, Chris’ practice focuses on partnering with both global and domestic corporations in all aspects of their individual and collective workplace relationships.

Although Chris’ commercial acumen and strategic approach makes him particularly adept at achieving early resolutions to even the most complex disputes, Chris is experienced in all areas of workplace related litigation including matters before the Fair Work Commission and its predecessors, the Industrial Court of New South Wales, Federal Court of Australia, Federal Circuit Court, Supreme Court of New South Wales, District Court of New South Wales, Local Court, County Court of Victoria, Australian Human Rights Commission (and its predecessor), AntiDiscrimination Board of NSW, Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission.

Chris was a foundation author of the CCH Master Human Resource Manual, authoring several chapters relating to workplace Health and Safety, Workplace Surveillance, Pre-employment vetting and Background Checks, and Whistleblowers.

Kirryn West James

Director kirryn.westjames@peopleculture.com.au

Kirryn was a founding member of PCS joining the firm in July 2010. In 2013 Kirryn moved to the UK where she practiced at a city firm in London specialising in employment and partnership law. Kirryn re-joined PCS in February 2022 as a Director.

Kirryn has a wide range of experience advising employers and senior executives on contentious and non-contentious matters. She has an in-depth understanding of employment disputes and advising clients on a full range of workplace issues including termination of employment, redundancy, unfair dismissal, performance management, whistleblowing, discrimination, bullying and restraints of trade.

Kirryn is an experienced presenter and has delivered training programs to board members, HR professionals, legal professionals, managers and recruiters.

While assisting clients to navigate conciliation, mediation and settlement, Kirryn also has extensive experience litigating cases before the Supreme Court, Fair Work Commission and Industrial Court of NSW. In the UK, her litigation experience includes cases before the Employment Tribunal and High Court.

During her time in the UK Kirryn was a member of the Association of Partnership Practitioners where she was a committee member of the Up & Coming Committee. She has contributed to legal publications including chapters of Managing Workplace Behaviour: A best practice guide with particular contributions around bullying and Work, Health and Safety.

Tracey Pace

Chief Operating Officer tracey.pace@peopleculture.com.au

Sitting as a member of the PCS Leadership Team, Tracey provides the direction and insight necessary to ensure PCS has effective operational controls, administrative and reporting procedures, and people systems in place to grow and, ensure financial strength and operating efficiency.

Tracey joined People + Culture Strategies in July 2010 as the Firm’s Financial Controller, and as Chief Operating Officer, now oversees and manages the operational functions of the Firm.

Tracey has worked as a finance professional across various industries and with many high-profile organisations, such as George Patterson Y&R, Accor Asia Pacific, Fairfax Media and Olympus Imaging Australia. She has a particular interest in the areas of taxation, compliance, financial analysis and strategic planning.

Tracey attained her Bachelor of Business Degree (Accounting) in 1999 and has been a Certified Practising Accountant since 2003.