Madeleine O’Brien

Associate

Madeleine O’Brien is an Associate in Hall Payne’s employment and industrial relations team and is based in our Melbourne and Hobart offices

Madeleine is passionate about pursuing justice for ordinary workers.

“I joined Hall Payne because I wanted to be part of a firm that protects the rights of workers and their families.”

Through her work on disputes in the health, financial services, construction and resources sectors, Madeleine has developed a broad commercial awareness and insight into a variety of industries and regulatory environments. She has also completed internships at the Young Workers Centre and the Association of Employees with Disability.

“Employment disputes can be stressful and complex. It’s satisfying to be able to assist deserving clients to access their rights and entitlements and achieve good outcomes.”

Before joining Hall Payne, Madeleine worked in the employment and industrial practice of a national law firm where she gained exposure to a breadth of individual employment and industrial disputes, regulatory inquiries and investigations.

Madeleine is a member of the Industrial Relations Society of Victoria, Victorian Women Lawyers and the Law Institute of Victoria.

In her spare time, Madeleine enjoys reading, collecting records and travelling. She also volunteers at West Justice Community Legal Centre and with Liberty Victoria’s Rights Advocacy Project.

Reviews for Hall Payne Melbourne

19 Feb 2025  Google Nathaniel du P-W

The competence and compassion of Madeleine O'Brien from Hall Payne exceeded my expectations, based on my past experience with lawyers.

My only regret in hiring Hall Payne Lawyers is that I didn't do it sooner.

11 Oct 2024  Google Chris P

5-star rating

06 Aug 2024  Google Mick C

I was fortunate to be supported by a great lawyer Mr Tim Grellman a Senior Associate. I am very grateful to him for his unwavering support my case. He has shown exceptional commitment and dedication.

Thank you very much Tim.

22 Jul 2024  Email H.R

I wanted to take a moment to say thanks for all the support you have provided over the last few months. This period has been one of the most stressful times in my life, and your dedication and expertise have been a constant source of reassurance.

Madeleine, I cannot thank you enough for your attention to detail and your efforts in handling my case.

Hearing that AHPRA has decided not to take action is an enormous relief for both myself and my family, knowing that I can continue practising in my field, which I am deeply passionate about. The team's hard work has allowed me to continue pursuing a career that I love, and for that, I am grateful. Thank you all for your support and commitment to my case.

17 Jun 2024  Google Steven H

I had positive interactions with Jessie Browne. I can recommend Hall Payne.

02 Sep 2023  Email A.A

It has been a pleasure working with you for my case, Madeleine.  I felt well supported and your support navigating some of those tricky scenarios really helped me make better decisions. You have been a fantastic knowledgeable support in this process.

18 Apr 2023  Google Quecha H

I recently had the pleasure of working with this law firm and I cannot recommend them highly enough. They were absolutely instrumental in helping me defend myself and provided invaluable support during a very difficult time.

Throughout the entire process, the firm demonstrated professionalism, expertise, and unwavering dedication to my case.

I am so grateful for their help and would recommend them to anyone in need of legal assistance.

04 Nov 2022  Email Christine C

I just want to say thank you for your work on this case. I have felt so well supported and taken care of through this process, and am very happy with the outcome. 

I will not hesitate to recommend you personally Madeleine, and Hall Payne Lawyers to anyone in need of assistance in the future.

More Reviews 

Recent Blogs by Madeleine

Redundancy pay and notice entitlements

Redundancy pay and notice entitlements

A genuine redundancy occurs when an employee’s employment is terminated at the employer’s initiative because the employer no longer requires that job to be done by anyone. The exception to this is where the employment ends due to the “ordinary and customary turnover of labour”.

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Hall Payne wins successful appeal on employer misrepresentations during enterprise bargaining

Hall Payne wins successful appeal on employer misrepresentations during enterprise bargaining

Representing our client, the NTEU, we had an excellent outcome in relation to misrepresentations made during the approval process for an enterprise agreement at a large university. The Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission determined the enterprise agreement was not genuinely agreed.

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Powers of Australian regulators and implications for employees involved in investigations

Powers of Australian regulators and implications for employees involved in investigations

There are a number of regulatory bodies in Australia whose investigative powers intersect with workplace and work-related activities. It’s crucial for employees who are subject to, or anticipate being subject to an investigation by a regulator, to seek legal advice to protect their interests.

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Additional hours – what is reasonable?

Additional hours – what is reasonable?

According to The Australia Institute, the average Australian worker performs 6 weeks of unpaid overtime a year, worth over $8,000 per worker, per year. Managers and professionals experience the highest rates of unpaid overtime and excessive or unreasonable hours.

Read more

More Blogs From Madeleine