Team

Jesse was admitted to the legal profession in 2020 after graduating from a Bachelor of Laws and International Studies at the University of Adelaide. During his studies, Jesse undertook elective courses and placements in employment law and quickly developed his passion for this area of law. Read More

Vita was admitted to the legal profession in 2021 after completing a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts at Victoria University of Wellington. Vita started her career at a boutique firm in Auckland, where she developed strong expertise in litigation and dispute resolution, with a particular focus on employment law. Read More

Samuel Manns is a lawyer with a strong grounding in employment law, industrial relations, and workers’ compensation. After earning his Bachelor of Laws from the University of Wollongong in 2023, he was admitted to legal practice in 2024 and has since advised across a wide range of workplace matters. Read More

Samantha Bonato

Senior Associate (admitted in South Africa but not an Australian Lawyer)

Samantha was admitted as a lawyer and notary public in the High Court of South Africa in 2017, after graduating from the University of the Free State first in her class and summa cum laude. In South Africa, she practiced in employment law for almost 9 years before making the move to Sydney.

She has acted for various high profile and blue-chip clients in industries including hospitality, banking and finance, telecommunications, gambling/gaming, energy, mining, retail and transport. Her experience in employment law is wide ranging and includes matters involving litigation, mediation and arbitration; advising clients on their employment law obligations in terms of relevant legislation, and drafting and advising clients on employment contracts, independent consultant contracts, and workplace policies. She also has experience in advising and assisting clients in restructuring processes and employers’ obligations in relation to redundancies. She has experience in collective labour law matters involving strikes, lockouts and industrial relation issues, and drafting and advising clients on collective agreements and collective bargaining strategies.

Samantha also has extensive experience in matters involving individual labour law such as employee misconduct, poor performance, medical incapacity and the processes and considerations in relation to these issues. In addition, she has advised clients on commercial transactions from an employment perspective and conducted and reported on due diligence investigations. She has also conducted investigations into gross misconduct by senior executives and alleged sexual harassment and discrimination claims in the workplace, reporting on and advising clients on their obligations, also presenting online and in-person training to clients on harassment, sexual harassment and other employment law topics. She also has deep experience in the area of equal opportunity legislation.

Having recently relocated to Sydney, Samantha aims to be admitted as an Australian lawyer in the immediate future and hopes to build her personal and professional life in Australia. In her spare time, Samantha enjoys travelling, exploring new places and spending time outdoors.