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  • About us

Expert employment lawyers offering fast and efficient answers to your questions.

JFM Law is a specialist employment law firm. We act for employees and employers across Australia, from offices in Sydney and Adelaide. 

Underpayments, unfair dismissals, redundancies, restraint disputes, workplace investigations, contracts. We give plain answers, move quickly, and tell you what to do next.

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A division of ADLV Law

JFM Law is the employment law specialised subsidiary practice of ADLV Law.

When your matter touches commercial, tax, estate, or business structuring questions, ADLV Law has the expertise to provide the full service. If your matter touches on areas outside of employment law, you won’t have to brief two separate practices. One client, two specialist teams, no handover gaps.

Learn more about ADLV Law

Our team

Louise Craven

Louise Craven

Principal

Sam Johnson

Senior practitioner

Jayden Mackenzie

Jayden Mackenzie

Lawyer

Specialist focus. Plain answers.

Employment specialists

We don't dabble. JFM Law is an employment law focused practice. That means faster answers, fewer surprises, and advice that actually fits the situation in front of you.

Transparent answers

No legal jargon. No hedging. We tell you what the law says, what your options are, and what we'd do in your position. If the news is bad, you hear it on the first call, not the third.

Fast paced

Employment problems have deadlines. Unfair dismissal claims must be lodged within 21 days. Underpayment letters can't sit on a desk. We answer quickly, act quickly, and keep you in front of the timeline — not behind it.

Your problem first. Not our billing targets.

  • A free first consult. Ten minutes on the phone, no obligation, before anything is invoiced. Most of the time we can tell you on the call whether you have a matter worth pursuing.
  • Fixed fees where we can. Contract reviews, letters of demand, simple advice work. We quote up-front so you know the cost before you commit.
  • Honest scoping. If the cost of fighting outweighs what you stand to recover, we'll tell you. We'd rather lose a fee than land you with a bill you regret.

Who we work with

We act for both sides of the employment relationship. That’s a deliberate choice, it keeps our advice grounded in what really happens on the other side of the table.

Employees

Dealing with unfair dismissal, underpayment, bullying, discrimination, sexual harassment, redundancy, or a contract dispute.

Executives

Negotiating exit packages, restraint clauses, equity claw-backs, or post-employment disputes.

Employers and HR teams

Who need defensible advice on terminations, investigations, redundancies, restructures, awards and wage compliance, contracts, and policy drafting.

Awards and recognition

Three Best Rated - Best Employment Lawyers: Sydney

Awarded to JFM Law 2017-2026 consecutively.

Best Employment lawyers in Sydney
  • Where we work

Two cities, 1 specialist practice.

We work out of Sydney and Adelaide, and we act for clients Australia-wide.

Employment law is federal, so it doesn’t matter where you’re based. We run matters by phone, email, and video where it suits you, and we appear in court and Fair Work Commission proceedings wherever your matter is heard.

Adelaide Office

Level 21, 91 King William Street Adelaide SA 5000

Sydney Office

Suite 14.02, 6 O'Connell Street Sydney NSW 2000

Sound like we can help?

The first call is free, takes about ten minutes, and is enough for us to tell you whether you have a matter worth pursuing. No paperwork, no obligation. 

Pick up the phone, send us an email, or book in a time that suits you, whichever’s easier.

Call 1300 882 386
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Louise Craven

Louise Craven

  • Qualifications

 

Professional memberships

 

Awards and recognition

  • Doyles Guide (2025) Leading Lawyer, Wills & Estates (SA)
  • Louise is an Accredited Specialist in Business Law

Employment relationships are built on agreements: contracts of employment, enterprise agreements, workplace policies, restraint of trade clauses, separation deeds. But whether you’re an employer putting them in place or an employee asked to sign one, most people quietly wonder the same thing: does this actually say what I think it does? Are my rights protected? What happens if something goes wrong?

Those are the right questions to be asking. Vague, poorly drafted, or misunderstood employment agreements are what put businesses in Fair Work proceedings and employees out of pocket.

Louise helps you make sure you never get there.

As a Principal at JFM Law with over a decade of experience advising business owners and high-net-worth individuals, Louise guides clients on both sides of the employment relationship.

For employers, she drafts and reviews employment contracts, workplace policies, and separation agreements, making sure obligations are clearly defined, risks are managed, and the business is protected if a relationship breaks down. For employees, she reviews agreements before they’re signed, advises on entitlements and rights, and acts when things go wrong through dismissal, discrimination, or a breach of contract.

If a dispute has already emerged, Louise provides a clear path forward, whether that means negotiating a resolution or pursuing the matter through litigation or the Fair Work Commission.

As a Principal and a parent of a primary schooler, Louise has no interest in wasting your time or her own. She knows you have a business to run or a livelihood to protect, and her job is to give you the clarity and confidence to move forward.

Working with Louise is straightforward:

Call Louise for a no-obligation initial conversation. She’ll listen, assess the situation, and explain your options clearly. From there, she’ll outline an agreed plan in writing with a fixed quote, and then get to work.

Sam Johnson

  • Qualifications
  • Bachelor of Arts with Degree of Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Major in Marketing, Macquarie University 
  • Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice, College of Law
  • Admitted to the Supreme Court of New South Wales
  • Admitted to the High Court of New South Wales

 

Professional memberships

  • Member of the Law Society of New South Wales

Whether you’re an employer trying to protect your business or an employee navigating a workplace dispute, employment law can feel like a minefield, and getting it wrong is costly.

Employers face a constant stream of legal exposure: poorly drafted employment agreements, underpayment claims, unfair dismissal applications, WHS obligations, and the growing complexity of modern awards and enterprise agreements. One misstep can result in Fair Work proceedings, significant penalties, or reputational damage that takes years to repair.

Employees face their own challenges. When a workplace relationship breaks down through dismissal, discrimination, harassment, or a breach of entitlements, knowing your rights and having someone in your corner makes all the difference.

Sam helps both sides get it right.

As a lawyer at JFM Law, Sam advises employers on building a sound employment law foundation: from drafting compliant contracts and workplace policies to responding to Fair Work claims and managing performance issues. He also acts for employees who have been treated unfairly, helping them understand their options and pursue the outcomes they’re entitled to.

Before law, Sam spent several years advising businesses on R&D Tax Incentives, a role that sharpened his ability to break down complex, technical frameworks into plain language and practical action. He also serves as an Operations Officer (2LT) in a school Cadet Unit, where he teaches risk management and decision-making to large groups. Those same skills translate directly to how he practises: identifying risk early, helping clients make informed decisions, and implementing clear plans that hold up under pressure.

Working with Sam is straightforward:

Call Sam for a no-obligation initial conversation. He’ll listen, identify the key issues, and explain your options honestly. From there, he’ll outline a plan in writing with a clear scope and fixed quote, and then get to work.

The goal is simple: whether you’re protecting your business or asserting your rights as an employee, Sam makes sure you’re not facing it alone.

Find the answers to your employment law questions...