Peterson joined the firm's employment and industrial relations group this week, and will focus on occupational health and safety (OHS) law which she has done for more than a decade.

Prior to her stint at Mallesons, Peterson was at the Victorian Workcover Authority where she managed the legal services and investigations division. During that time she was instrumental in implementing the 2004 Occupational Health and Safety Act.

"In my experience, the way to provide the best service for a client is to get to know the client's business. As far as workplace safety is concerned, it is never enough to simply meet a client at the office," Peterson said in a statement.