Mark Howard joins the firm’s workplace relations and safety practice, and will head up the practice nationally. He brings with him Chris Egan, special counsel, also from Middletons.

Howard was a partner of Middletons’ Victorian workplace relations practice. He has more than 25 years of experience in all aspects of industrial relations, employment law and occupational health and safety.

The new recruit specialises in advice to public and private sector employers and state and local government authorities. He has experience in workplace issues across industries including government, financial services, technology, construction, manufacturing, insurance, retail, and energy and resources.

His practice spans enterprise bargaining and workplace agreements, managing industrial disputes, restructures, terminations of employment, enforcement of post employment restraints, equal opportunity, sexual harassment and bullying and flexible workplace practices, executive and general employment contracts, board and executive solutions and compliance and risk management. Mark also has expertise in designing and delivering tailored training programs for use by national employers.

Egan brings with him experience in employment law with particular expertise in enterprise bargaining and industrial relations.

Juan Martinez, managing partner of HWL Ebsworth, said the new workplace head is one of Melbourne's leading workplace relations practitioners.

This article previously reported that Mark Howard was the head of Middletons' workplace relations practice. This is not the case, he was a partner.