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Melissa Small
Special Counsel
Hall & Wilcox
Melissa Small is a Special Counsel at Hall & Wilcox with extensive experience advising and representing public and private sector clients across all areas of employment law. She is known for delivering timely and solutions focused advice tailored to the needs of her clients, and regularly manages sensitive, high-profile matters where reputation is of paramount concern. Melissa’s style is practical, proactive and approachable. She is strategic and skilled at identifying bigger picture issues that may impact outcomes. Her experience spans statutory and award compliance, performance management and disciplinary issues, managing long-term absences, termination of employment, enterprise bargaining, underpayments, bullying and discrimination, litigation and many others. Melissa is recognised in Best Lawyers in Australia 2026 – Labour and Employment Law ('Ones to Watch').
SESSIONS
2:40
Panel: Managing conduct vs performance
This panel session exposes real-world scenarios where misclassifying issues or mishandling communications lead to employee claims, costly disputes, and regulatory action, showing HR leaders exactly how to act decisively to reduce risk.
Critical distinctions between conduct (behavioural breaches) vs performance (capability or output issues) and why mismanagement of either can trigger legal exposure.
Practical frameworks for early intervention, defensible investigations, and structured performance feedback to protect your organisation.
Panelist:
Sydney: Alicia Mataere, Partner, Holman Webb
Sydney: Brigid Clark, Partner, Addisons
Sydney: Kate Kossain, Special Counsel, Maddocks
Sydney: Clare Kerley, Partner, Hall & Wilcox
Melbourne: Adam Lambert, Principal Solicitor, KHQ Lawyers
Melbourne: Gerard Twomey, Senior Associate, Maddocks
Melbourne: Peter McNulty, Partner, Ashurst
Melbourne: Melissa Small, Special Counsel, Hall & Wilcox