John Dawsonback to Lawyers

John Dawson was admitted to practice as a lawyer in 1985.

He joined Carney Lawyers in 1985.

John's background is in aviation, employment and workplace relations. For nearly a decade he worked in Air Traffic Services with the then Civil Aviation Authority. He's also been the State Secretary of the registered association representing employees engaged in the aviation industry, the Professional Radio and Electronics Institute of Australia. John's success in his legal practice comes from his qualifications and unique experience in these two areas. He's represented stakeholders in commissions of inquiry, including the Independent Review of the Australian Advanced Air Traffic System and the Commission of Inquiry into Relations between the Civil Aviation Authority and Seaview Air.

For more than ten years, John was the Lecturer and Co-ordinator for the aviation law course taught as part of the Diploma of Aviation at the Sydney Institute of Technology. He's a guest lecturer in the employment and administrative law components of the aviation law course - subjects in the Bachelor of Science (Aviation) degree course offered by University of NSW. John's also contributed to the chapter on employment law in the text Aviation Law in Australia.

John's an active member of a number of professional bodies, including the Commercial Law Association; the Aviation Study Group attached to Linacre College, Oxford University and he's the NSW Secretary and National Director of the Aviation Law Association of Australia and New Zealand. He was previously the Chair of the Telstra Disciplinary Appeal Board. John's also accredited as a specialist by the NSW Law Society in Employment and Industrial Law.

John's expertise is in the following areas:

Aviation

  • Advising and representing the aviation industry, particularly general aviation operators, on regulatory, commercial and liability issues.
  • Negotiating with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, and other government agencies, acting in defence of regulatory and administrative actions.
  • Acting in relation to passenger cargo and third party claims.
  • Experience in passenger claims brought in the United States jurisdiction.
  • Risk management for aircraft operators.

Employment and workplace relations

  • Advising in relation to employment contracts.
  • Drafting and registration of Australian Workplace Agreements.
  • Representation before State and Commonwealth Industrial Commissions.
  • Advising in relation to employee remuneration and bonus schemes particularly employee share schemes.
  • Discrimination and equal opportunity claims, industrial dispute prevention management and resolution.