Joseph Kennedy

Principal

“I use the law progressively as a vehicle to address inequality, unfairness and injustice.”

Joseph Kennedy is a Principal at Hall Payne, working in Sydney’s employment and industrial relations team. He is admitted to both the Supreme Court of NSW and the High Court of Australia.

Joseph has a wealth of experience providing strategic legal advice to employees and unions to help them navigate a variety of difficult disputes.

He has specialist accreditation from the NSW Law Society in Employment and Industrial Law and is a member of the Advisory Committee for that practice area. Joseph regularly appears, both as advocate and instructing Counsel, in contested hearings in various Australian courts and tribunals, with a focus on Fair Work Commission and Federal Court matters.

Joseph is also independently recognised in Doyle's Guide as a Leading Employment Lawyer in NSW.

Before joining Hall Payne, Joseph worked at a private labour law firm in Sydney. He has also worked as a lawyer with the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union and with the previous iteration of the United Workers Union.

“I get a lot of satisfaction from using the law to achieve lasting positive change for our clients in a cost-effective way.”

Joseph’s most satisfying cases at Hall Payne to date have been the successful appeal to the full court of the Federal Court in Fair Work Building Inspectorate v Bragdon & Ors which developed the principles of right of entry for union officials, the reinstatement of CFMMEU member and labour hire coal mine worker Kim Star and the reinstatement of a Sydney bus driver and RTBU member (in both of those FWC matters Joseph appeared as advocate).

Outside work, Joseph volunteers at community legal centres, is a founding director of RUN DIPG (a child cancer charity) and did a volunteer internship with the UN Refugee Agency in Zambia. He is a member of the NSW Law Society, APHEDA, and a proud union member.

Reviews for Hall Payne Sydney

19 Dec 2024  Google Gemma V

Whilst seeking legal advice from Ignat Kozlov, we could not fault our experience. Ignat and his team were very professional, understanding and gave thorough advice.

Highly recommend the team at Hall Payne Lawyers.

18 Dec 2024  Google ldslm

We are incredibly grateful for the thorough advice and diligent work provided by Ignat Kozlov at Hall Payne Lawyers. Despite external challenges, he consistently delivered exceptional service.

Ignat and his team demonstrated a level of care and professionalism that is second to none. They turned a challenging process into a positive experience and have our highest recommendation for their outstanding expertise and dedication.

04 Dec 2024  Google Kym B
Excellent support, and dedication from start to finish. Recommend to anyone.
07 Nov 2024  Google Geoff P

I recently completed a worker's compensation claim through Hall Payne Lawyers Sydney and Amanda Knock was looking after my claim.

I am extremely happy with the way that they handled my claim. They were very efficient and professional also kept me informed throughout this process. I felt like I was treated like a person and not just a number , very rare these days.

I have no hesitation in highly recommending Amanda and Hall Payne Lawyers Sydney .

05 Nov 2024  Google James B

I was sent Hall Payne Lawyers details by my sister in law. I was fortunate enough to have an initial consultation with Mark Diamond about serious work issue.

During our meeting Mark was courteous, respectful, well prepared, and a wealth of knowledge regarding employment law. His honesty and expertise were demonstrated with the outcome and he provided me all the options.

I could not recommend him highly enough.

19 Sep 2024  Email Anonymous

I reached out to Joe Kennedy in an urgent and sensitive situation, as he was highly recommended to me by a colleague.

Joe was thorough and efficient from the beginning until the issue was resolved to my satisfaction. He was particularly patient with me when I was feeling immense pressure and confused, and ultimately kept me focussed on the outcome I was seeking.

I never felt that it was about billing for Joe, quite the contrary. Joe showed expert knowledge, provided and received feedback which he actioned in a timely manner.

I highly recommend his services and will not hesitate to seek him out again if any issues arise in future.

18 Sep 2024  Google Nico R

I had the pleasure of working with Mark Diamond and his team during a challenging time. His professionalism and empathy throughout the process were outstanding. He took the time to listen carefully to my concerns, providing thoughtful advice every step of the way.

What truly set him apart was the prompt response to every query and issue that arose, ensuring I felt supported and informed at all times.

Additionally, Mark Diamond worked efficiently and with integrity, ensuring that we stayed within the agreed budget without compromising the quality of service.

I highly recommend Mark Diamond for anyone seeking reliable, empathetic and responsive legal assistance.

12 Sep 2024  Google Laura G

I can not recommend Hall Payne enough. From my first phone conversation with Rebecca who listened and made sure I was placed with an associate through to my dealings with senior associate Mark Diamond.

Mark has been attentive, listened to all my questions and concerns and most of all made me feel at ease and heard. Marks work on my case was faultless and has provided me with the best outcome for my situation.

If you are in need of a lawyer I would recommend Hall Payne to everyone.

More Reviews 

Recent Blogs by Joseph

Medical discharge of firefighter due to PSTD overturned by NSW IRC

Employer’s decision to medically discharge a firefighter with history of PTSD was wrong

NSW Industrial Relations Commission determines the medical discharge of a firefighter, due to PTSD, was wrong and decision overturned.

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RTBU wins an underpayment of wages case for its Sydney bus drivers

Win for RTBU in underpayment of wages case

Hall Payne Lawyers successfully represented the RTBU and its members in Federal Court proceedings against Transit Systems Pty Ltd for failing to pass on annual wage increases.

Read more

Significant changes to entitlements of casual employees

Major changes for casual employees in 2021

In March 2021, changes to the Fair Work Act came into effect which were the result of the federal government’s attempts at defining casual employment.

Read more

CFMMEU win significant victory opposing ABCC prosecution

Hall Payne & CFMMEU win significant victory opposing ABCC prosecution

In June 2020, we represented the CFMMEU and 2 of their officials in relation to allegations of taking unlawful industrial action at the Qube construction site at Broadbeach in Queensland. On 12 November 2020, the Court handed down its judgment, dismissing the proceeding.

Read more

More Blogs From Joseph