About The Firm

Established 30 years ago, McDonald Murholme are true pioneers of employment law. We have the highest level of expertise and experience in employment law and the firm has performed work successfully in more employment disputes than any other over the last three decades.

LEARN MORE

expertise-bgimg
Pioneers of Employment Law. Serving the whole of Australia.

We resolve issues through successful negotiation.

alan-photo
icon
About the Principal
The McDonald Murholme team is headed by Mr Alan McDonald.

The McDonald Murholme team is lead by Mr Alan McDonald, Founder and Director. He is the most experienced employment lawyer in Victoria for employees and has mentored and trained around 200 of Australia’s employment lawyers over the last 30 years.

Contact Us
Why Choose McDonald Murholme?
The most experienced employment lawyer in Victoria for employees and has an outstanding support team.
choose icon

We are the go-to law firm when you need a very experienced lawyer, with more successful outcomes for clients than any other.

choose icon

We do not take shortcuts, expecting you to book online with no receptionist or communications team support.

We offer a fast,
efficient and affordable service which is highly personalised.

The McDonald Murholme team is headed by Mr Alan McDonald.

Contact Us
choose icon

We understand business, and the needs of both employers and employees, and how they must work together to build successful businesses.

choose icon

Our lawyers know how to resolve issues through successful
negotiation.

Our clients' satisfaction is pivotal to our own success.
  • quote

    The staff at McDonald Murholme are exemplary! From the moment you walk into their beautiful office, to the warm, friendly, courteous receptionists, you get the… more

    rating image
    quote

    The staff at McDonald Murholme are exemplary! From the moment you walk into their beautiful office, to the warm, friendly, courteous receptionists, you get the feeling that you will be given exemplary and outstanding legal service and representation. Stephanie was amazing and provided me with outstanding legal advice and direction. Stephanie's professional and calming demeanour allowed me to feel confident that my legal matter would be resolved in the most professional manner! She ensured communication was clear, concise and was always available when needed. I highly recommend McDonald Murholme, and especially Stephanie!

    rating image
    Jerome Conway
    Jerome Conway
  • quote

    If you’re made redundant reach out to McDonald Murholme for advice, you have 21 days to seek help. I have been very happy to have… more

    rating image
    quote

    If you’re made redundant reach out to McDonald Murholme for advice, you have 21 days to seek help. I have been very happy to have them on my side and it helps enormously to right any wrong doing in the workplace and give you support through what is a tough experience for anyone. Thank you to the team at Mc Donald Murholme, I have greatly appreciated your professional legal advice & support. I highly recommend their services to anyone who finds themselves redundant, unfortunately all to common in the current workplace.

    rating image
    Deb Hallmark
    Deb Hallmark
  • quote

    The people I dealt with at McDonald Murholme were all top-notch professionals who were knowledgeable, prompt, courteous, and supportive through what could have been a… more

    rating image
    quote

    The people I dealt with at McDonald Murholme were all top-notch professionals who were knowledgeable, prompt, courteous, and supportive through what could have been a harrowing experience. I have nothing but praise for Alan, Alisha, and Amanda - and Natasha who patiently took copious notes about my situation! I have no hesitation in recommending this firm for legal matters around employment. I am particularly thankful to Amanda Greig who explained my options fully, and negotiated skillfully on my behalf. Thanks team.

    rating image
    Ingrid Beasley
    Ingrid Beasley
  • quote

    I was very impressed with the high level of service that was provided by the team at McDonald Murholme Solicitors. A high level of professionalism… more

    rating image
    quote

    I was very impressed with the high level of service that was provided by the team at McDonald Murholme Solicitors. A high level of professionalism was shown at all times whilst dealing with the team. Thanks to the hard work of Stephanie Hallas I was able to reach a very good outcome with my redundancy, and I'd highly recommend using their services.

    rating image
    Brendon Atkinson
    Brendon Atkinson
  • quote

    I have been very impressed by the professional services I have received from McDonald Murholme. They came highly recommended to me for a practice that… more

    rating image
    quote

    I have been very impressed by the professional services I have received from McDonald Murholme. They came highly recommended to me for a practice that gets outcomes to go in the favour of the employee and they delivered. I also received practical advice with relation to options and associated fees. Hopefully I don’t have to use them again but wouldn’t hesitate if I needed to. thanks you Alan and Zac.

    rating image
    Aaron Dixon
    Aaron Dixon
  • quote

    I called for advice. I was told I would receive a follow up email where I could upload any info I had. Then I would… more

    rating image
    quote

    I called for advice. I was told I would receive a follow up email where I could upload any info I had. Then I would receive a call. I received a text reminder then the call promptly when it was scheduled. Stephanie was so kind and personable. So keen to help me. She even gave me a second phone call as she wanted to look into my issue further & make sure she was giving me the correct advice. Highly recommend this professional team. So glad I found them. Many thanks- Tania

    rating image
    Tania
    Tania
  • quote

    Amanda and the team at McDonald Murholme were incredibly kind, patient and generous with their time regarding my situation. I am incredibly grateful for their… more

    rating image
    quote

    Amanda and the team at McDonald Murholme were incredibly kind, patient and generous with their time regarding my situation. I am incredibly grateful for their service and advice and would highly recommend them to anybody in need of workplace legal services. Amanda in particular is a certified legend!

    rating image
    Matthew Iozzi
    Matthew Iozzi
  • quote

    Stephanie has been amazing to deal with! She was able to quickly get on top of the issues behind a fairly complicated Fair Work small… more

    rating image
    quote

    Stephanie has been amazing to deal with! She was able to quickly get on top of the issues behind a fairly complicated Fair Work small claims action, then patiently work with me whilst I prepared my claim and my response to the employer, offering guidance and suggestions along the way. Thanks to you Stephanie and the team at McDonald Murholme for your help and assistance!

    rating image
    Michael Barrett
    Michael Barrett
  • quote

    My need for support from McDonald Murholme came at a time when I was also focussing on a couple of other personal issues - both… more

    rating image
    quote

    My need for support from McDonald Murholme came at a time when I was also focussing on a couple of other personal issues - both significant but unrelated. The support I received from Alan, Stephanie and the team was incredible - I felt supported at every step of the process and was 100% confident that the matter was being dealt with effectively whilst I addressed other things. Most importantly, however, the team were easy to talk to and kept me fully up to date with progress. Hopefully I'll not have a need to use them again but, if I do, I absolutely would NOT hesitate! Last thing for me to say - THANK YOU McDonald Murholme!

    rating image
    PJ Metcalf
    PJ Metcalf
  • quote

    Outstanding lawyers! I contacted McDonald Murholme to review some legal documents. The team there were super supportive, explained everything, where fully upfront about pricing and… more

    rating image
    quote

    Outstanding lawyers! I contacted McDonald Murholme to review some legal documents. The team there were super supportive, explained everything, where fully upfront about pricing and different legal options that I had. Their team worked quickly and I was really blow away by their thoroughness, thoughtfulness, dedication, and professionalism. They helped me get a way better outcome than I would have had without seeking their help. Can't speak highly enough about my experience.

    rating image
    Marcos Caceres
    Marcos Caceres
  • quote

    “The McDonald Murholme staff made me feel so comfortable, they provided me with great advice and helped me reach an outcome that I was very… more

    rating image
    quote

    “The McDonald Murholme staff made me feel so comfortable, they provided me with great advice and helped me reach an outcome that I was very happy with.”

    rating image
    Sophie Thomson
    Sophie Thomson
  • quote

    “Thank you, Edward, Alan and the team. Your support throughout the journey was outstanding. I cannot recommend you enough. I could not be happier. Thank… more

    rating image
    quote

    “Thank you, Edward, Alan and the team. Your support throughout the journey was outstanding. I cannot recommend you enough. I could not be happier. Thank you again.”

    rating image
    Joanne Ferretto
    Joanne Ferretto
  • quote

    “Alan and Stephanie were able to turn my workplace nightmare into a financially rewarding experience that I would never have been able to achieve without… more

    rating image
    quote

    “Alan and Stephanie were able to turn my workplace nightmare into a financially rewarding experience that I would never have been able to achieve without their knowledge and assistance. I am so grateful for the exit strategy they managed to negotiate for me to enable me to move on to a much better opportunity. Huge thanks to all the team at McDonald Murholme for the great work you all do.”

    rating image
    Camden Brown
    Camden Brown
  • quote

    “Alan, Ned and the team at McDonald Murholme took a genuine interest in my situation. Their advice and guidance helped me quickly achieve a fair… more

    rating image
    quote

    “Alan, Ned and the team at McDonald Murholme took a genuine interest in my situation. Their advice and guidance helped me quickly achieve a fair settlement from my employer.”

    rating image
    Anonymous
    Anonymous
  • quote

    “My need for support from McDonald Murholme came at a time when I was also focussing on a couple of other personal issues - both… more

    rating image
    quote

    “My need for support from McDonald Murholme came at a time when I was also focussing on a couple of other personal issues - both significant but unrelated. The support I received from Alan, Stephanie and the team was incredible - I felt supported at every step of the process and was 100% confident that the matter was being dealt with effectively whilst I addressed other things. Most importantly, however, the team were easy to talk to and kept me fully up to date with progress. Hopefully I'll not have a need to use them again but, if I do, I absolutely would NOT hesitate! Last thing for me to say - THANK YOU McDonald Murholme!”

    rating image
    PJ Metcalf
    PJ Metcalf
  • quote

    “Alan, Julie and the team at McDonald Murholme helped me through a very stressful time with my employer. Once I contacted and engaged them they… more

    rating image
    quote

    “Alan, Julie and the team at McDonald Murholme helped me through a very stressful time with my employer. Once I contacted and engaged them they kept me informed and supported me throughout the journey. They took away my stress, were patient with my many questions and most importantly they empowered me. Highly recommend.”

    rating image
    Tiffany Richards
    Tiffany Richards
  • quote

    “Outstanding, clear and concise advice.”

    rating image
    Carl Pallier
  • quote

    “Deeply compassionate, understanding and supportive, Helped me through a very difficult decision with sage and timely advice.”

    rating image
    Ian Stokol
form-bg
We listen to you.

Get in touch with the employment lawyer who has acted for thousands of employees like you.

Contact McDonald Murholme

Our office hours

8:45 am – 5:15 pm Monday to Friday.

McDonald Murholme – The Essential Australian Employment Lawyers

From the early 1990’s when radical changes were made to employment law, McDonald Murholme was an exclusive pioneer employment law firm.

It offered a fast, efficient and affordable legal service to anyone with an employment dispute. It resolved a record number of disputes in the Fair Work Commission and Federal Court of Australia. Inevitably its lawyers built the experience and case law precedents to constantly improve its service delivery.

The unique nature of every employment law dispute requires attention to detail and a very personal service. That service must be delivered within responsible budgeting because employees and employers have limited resources and need cost effective conflict resolution for an employee / employer dispute.

Accordingly, McDonald Murholme’ s mission statement for 30 years has been:

McDonald Murholme is focused on fairness and is dedicated to innovation in the practice of law. It has embraced change and organised to take advantage of it for its clients.

When you require a knowledgeable and skilful legal advocate and negotiator to resolve your legal disputes, McDonald Murholme has the necessary knowledge and experience to do so, without the prohibitive price tag normally associated with a high quality legal service.

McDonald Murholme – Employment Lawyers – Melbourne, Sydney and all Australian cities.

Employment Practice Disciplines

Modern employment law endeavours to provide rewarding and safe work for employees and a uniform rule base for employers. The rules in the Fair Work Act are comprehensive and exhaustive and the lawyers at McDonald Murholme work in the most specialised manner on all aspects from legal protection of employees facing any form of discrimination or unfair treatment, to companies needing guidance in the management of problematic situations or individuals.

  • Redundancy
  • Performance management plans
  • Whistleblower protection
  • Workplace investigations
  • Restraints of trade
  • Release agreements
  • Stop bullying laws
  • Anti discrimination: age, gender, pregnancy, marital status, social origin, political opinion, right to make a complaint or enquiry.

McDonald Murholme – Expert Discrimination Lawyers, Redundancy Lawyers and all employment disputes.

National Employment Service

Based in Melbourne, McDonald Murholme works in every State and Territory, capital cities and regional areas. There are no geographic barriers. McDonald Murholme offers special assistance to key export and internationally-based industries.

McDonald Murholme – Expert Australian Employment Lawyers.

Workplace Lawyers for Employees

Employees often find it difficult to secure high quality legal service because most law firms, especially the larger ones tend to act only for employers. McDonald Murholme’s expertise is available to anyone, executives on 7 figure incomes to casual employees starting out in their first job.

McDonald Murholme – Expert Australian Employment Lawyers.

Workplace Lawyers for Employers

Some employers find running a successful business under the constraints of the Fair Work Act is challenging. McDonald Murholme guides firms with straightforward and simple advice on complying with the Act and avoiding disputes, making business more profitable.

McDonald Murholme – resolving workplace conflicts Australia-wide.

Executives with Shares

Executives and employees with share options and equity usually are firmly committed to the business success. When the business seeks to remove them, they find that difficult. The harsh truth that they are no longer valued and must fight with the company they have helped to build is difficult for them.

McDonald Murholme understands these issues and the reputational damage feared by executives if they sue their employer. We know how to resolve the issues without reputational damage to the executive / employee or protracted litigation (in all but a small number of exceptional cases). We support successful businesses but we know how to stand in the shoes of an executive when things have gone wrong. We strategise solutions for both the executive, and the business, based upon the knowledge gained in our sheer weight of experience. Where necessary we have successfully litigated many high profile cases. These cases have involved both private sector and public sector employees, especially in the banking sector, health profession, education providers, sporting industry and state and local government.

McDonald Murholme – Executive Lawyers – resolving employment conflicts with minimum reputational risk, especially for executives with shares.

building-image