(Brisbane based)
Heilala Tabete is our Director – General Manager. In this role, Heilala looks after the operations of the firm overseeing Human Resources, Finance, Administration, Support Staff and Business Development. Heilala is of a legal background having practiced in Queensland and Fiji. Having legal practice and management experience has well placed her within the firm to lead its day-to-day operations.
Heilala was admitted as a Legal Practitioner of the Supreme Court of Queensland in 2004, a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of Fiji in 2005, and a Solicitor to the High Court of Australia in 2013. Heilala undertook her undergraduate and post graduate legal studies in Queensland before returning to Fiji to work as a Public Prosecutor from 2005 – 2010. In this capacity, she conducted (as both solicitor and advocate on her feet in court) criminal prosecutions at trial and appellate level in the Magistrates and High Court (equivalent of District Court) from indictment to sentencing. During her tenure at the Public Prosecutor’s office, her portfolio included assessor trials (similar to jury trials) of robbery with violence, manslaughter and serious fraud. Heilala has also contributed to law reform working groups to amend criminal provisions which allowed for effective intellectual property law enforcement and has conducted training for law enforcement officers.
Having also worked as an Associate in private practice (both in Queensland and Fiji), Heilala’s roles have revolved primarily around litigation and general advice in contexts of dispute. Her experience on both sides of the bar table has allowed her to understand litigation matters in context, effectively identify issues and running hearings.
In this capacity, Heilala prepared submissions, pleadings and appeared across various court jurisdictions (at State and Federal level) and in the Fair Work Commission (for employment related matters).
Her practice areas have seen her act for clients in a broad range of matters including:
- Criminal Law
- Family Law
- Intellectual Property and Trade Marks
- Employment Law
- Contract & Administrative Law
- Will Making and Estate Planning
- Dispute Resolution
- Deceased Estate Disputes
- Litigation
- Debt Recovery
Her legal experience has made her valuable to the provision of threshold legal advice for our clients and client groups.
Articles by Heilala have been republished by Legalwise in seminar newsletter, she presented with Television Education Network (TEN) on legal marketing as a core CPD point for lawyers across Australia and she has contributed at overseas conferences hosted by the Fiji Law Society and the International Bar Association in Fiji on Working with international law firms and international business clients – top tips for business development; and is a founder of the Kingdom International Legal Network (KILN).
Heilala holds:
- Bachelor of Laws (Griffith University)
- Bachelor of International Business (Griffith University)
- Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice (Griffith University)
- Masters in Law (Griffith University)
Presentations and Publications
- An Implied Duty of Mutual Trust and Confidence in Australian Employment Law does Not Exist According to the High Court
- Correlation Between Bullying and Discrimination in The Workplace
- Managing Mental Health in the Workplace
- New to Employment – Some Matters to Consider (Webinar August 2014)
- Employment Law- Flexible Working Arrangements
- Anti-Bullying – Managing bullying in the work place OR recourse to the Fair Work Commission (Webinar April 2014)
- Redundancy – What it means for Employers and Employees (Webinar March 2014)
- Fair Work Commission – A New Forum for Workplace Bullying Complaints
- Restraint of Trade clauses
- Australian Trade Marks 101
- Wills and Deceased Estates disputes and litigation in Qld (Webinar)
