Harmers Corporate Club

Discounted top tier legal services from as little as $20 per week 

Who we are: Your HR & Employment Law Partner 

Harmers Workplace Lawyers is a multi-award-winning employment law firm, recognised as one of the leading firms in Australia in our area of practice.

The Firm has been in existence for more than 25 years, though its most senior practitioners have longer periods of practice in the employment and industrial relations field. We are highly experienced in advising clients of all sizes across the full spectrum of the employment relationship, from attracting and retaining the best people to effectively managing the termination of the employment relationship and from dealing with the issues of a single employee to dealing with union demands. Our clients can depend on us to deliver commercially relevant and strategic advice in a professional, cost effective and timely manner.

What is the Harmers Corporate Club?

Harmers is offering corporate clients an opportunity to develop a tailored retainer agreement that provides cost flexibility and value, and that suits the needs of your business. We understand that one size does not fit all, and we would like to partner with you in a way that best suits your business’ needs and ensures that no matter your available legal spend, your business is able to access quality legal services.

To that end, we are offering all corporate clients, of whatever size, the opportunity to join what we have termed the “Harmers Corporate Club”. Essentially, this is membership of a scheme that allows you, as a corporate client, to enter into a retainer arrangement with Harmers Workplace Lawyers, where for a regular payment of a membership fee (no set amount; customised to your needs), you are able to obtain a number of benefits including 50% discount on our standard rates and credit of the membership fee towards the cost of legal services. We set out other benefits in more detail below.

What does Membership cost?

There is no set membership fee. As a member of the Harmers Corporate Club, you choose how much you wish to pay, and whether you wish to pay on a weekly or monthly basis. There is, however, a minimum spend for larger corporate clients. Clients can accordingly pay as little as $20 per week, as an example. Please contact us to find out more, including examples of how the arrangement operates.

What are the benefits of the Harmers Corporate Club?

Membership in the Club has a number of advantages. Some of the main benefits of membership lie in the area of costs of legal services, when you need those services. Other benefits include:

Having trusted advisors

We aim to become a trusted business advisor. A team will work with you to develop an understanding of your business and its needs. This ensures advice and legal services are tailored to your business, by a consistent and available team of lawyers.

Credit for membership fees towards legal costs

Any amounts paid by you as membership fees will entitle you to credit towards the costs of legal services which are subsequently provided. This is part of what we have termed “double the value”, in that Club members not only are given full credit for membership fees, but also receive a significant discount on our normal rates for our legal practitioners.

Discounted legal costs

All Club members are entitled to a discount of 50% on our standard rates.

Other benefits—“add-on” benefits

All Corporate Club members will be given access to other benefits, including:

• access to training and information seminars, webinars, client alerts and publications;
• access to our online L&E Global Knowledge Centre with labour law content across six continents; and
• an introduction to trusted L&E Global advisors in other jurisdictions if you need employment advice in another jurisdiction.

What sets Harmers Corporate Club apart?

What sets us apart from other providers of retainer arrangements is:

• our ability to provide strategic advice where needed, including on complex, systemic and longer-term issues facing your business;
• our ability to provide continuity of service in respect to the team members assisting you, so that they are familiar with your organisation and the issues you are facing, you do not need to repeat the background to your matter each time you call us, and they can provide practical and commercial advice tailored to your business; and
• all legal services provided are covered by a separate legal retainer (letter of engagement and costs disclosure), giving full protection that applies to costs agreements under the Uniform Legal Profession legislation.

Does the Membership entitle coverage for every employment law matter? 

Essentially, yes, the benefits of membership will apply to all work in the employment and industrial arena in which Harmers works. This includes day-to-day advice and assistance in relation to such areas as:

• the preparation of internal workplace policies and contracts;
• managing internal complaints such as workplace bullying, harassment and discrimination claims;
• managing work, health & safety issues and compliance;
• managing ill/injured and underperforming employees;
• the interpretation of contracts, incentive schemes and awards;
• annual leave, parental leave and other entitlements under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) and other applicable legislation, including long service leave;
• deeds of release in settlement of employee disputes;
• redundancies, restructures and other workplace consultation and change;
• preparing meeting scripts and template emails and letters; and
• advice on unfair dismissal and general protections claims or any other termination of employment dispute (excluding representation at conciliations, mediations and in litigation).

But it also covers the full range of legal professional services in more complex legal matters, such as significant project work, significant investigations, litigation and workplace fatalities or serious injuries matters.

How do you become a Corporate Club Member? 

Harmers encourages all corporate clients interested in joining the Corporate Club to first speak to a representative of Harmers, who can discuss the membership further, and answer any further questions. We can provide you with further details in writing.

To find out more, please call +61 2 9267 4322 (and please quote member offer code “CC50“).