Michael Tooma is a Partner at Deacons, where he heads up the National Occupational Health Safety and Security practice. His career progression is a good example of the motto "enjoy what you do and the rest will follow". Michael is not passionate about safety - he is obsessed! In addition to running a practice supervising a team of 12 lawyers, he writes books, lectures at UNSW and undertakes countless speaking engagements.

Michael joined Deacons in 2002, was made Partner in 2004, and immediately took the reins of the national OHS practice which he has grown from humble beginnings to one of the largest and most respected practices in Australia with almost 20 dedicated lawyers nationally.

Much of Michael`s time these days is spent providing strategic advice to private and government clients including the Australian Defence Force, the Department of Workplace Relations and the NSW Independent Transport Safety and Reliability Regulator.

He currently coordinates OHS law courses in both the School of Safety Science and the Faculty of Law.

May 2008