Commercial Lawyers with experience in small business

The expertise of our Commercial Law team ranges widely to cover a diversity of legal issues facing corporate entities and businesses, whether the issue is to be dealt with in isolation or as part of a broader strategy. At any given time we are actively engaged in transactional matters such as restructures and mergers and acquisitions, as well as the day to day management issues facing our clients in business such as corporate governance, compliance and customer and supplier contracts and transactions.

Our business law and taxation team has a breadth of knowledge and an understanding of the industries in which our clients operate. We apply these skills for the benefit of a range of entities including public and private companies, not for profit organisations, partnerships and small businesses.

With strong links through the MSI Global Alliance we have access to both interstate and overseas lawyers and are able to provide a single point of reference for our clients whether they are opening a new store in Brisbane or sourcing supply from China.

Our Commercial team can assist in the following areas:

  • Administrative law review

    review of decisions of the range of administrative and statutory tribunals

  • Aged Care & Retirement

    Advice for residents and operators in the residential aged care and retirement village arenas; mergers, acquisitions and disposals; property transactions; planning applications; applications and transfers of approved places; drafting and advising resident agreements; compliance with Aged Care Act and Principles; Retirement Villages Act and other applicable legislative and regulatory requirements; complaints; supply agreements; industrial relations; operational issues.

  • Building and Construction

    Advising on domestic and commercial building developments and contracts; structuring of developments; subdivisions; finance arrangements; construction disputes.

  • Business acquisition and sales

    Pre-contractual due diligence; negotiations; preparation of documentation; attendance to assignments of leases; assignments of material contracts; licensing and permit transfers; settlement; post settlement actions and disputes.

  • Capital Raisings

    Small and large scale capital raisings; preparation of information memoranda and prospectuses; structures and Corporations Act requirements; investment or contributions to capital raisings.

  • Competition Law and Trade Practices

    Trade Practices Act and Fair Trading Act compliance and advice; court actions; assistance with ACCC investigations; trade practices compliance programs.

  • Compliance and governance

    Corporations Act compliance; directors' duties; corporate governance; compliance with ASIC requirements and lodgments; other legislative and industry specific compliance; licensing and permits.

  • Family Business

    Structuring of family businesses, succession planning; compliance and contracting arrangements.

  • Finance

    Capital raisings, bank finance and other finance arrangements; security documentation; reverse mortgages; guarantees; charges and debentures.

  • Franchising & Licensing

    Advising franchisors on establishment of franchises; advising franchisees upon franchise agreements and related terms; preparing disclosure statements; perusing and advising on disclosure statements; advising in relation to leasing issues; taxation implications; compliance with Franchising Code.

  • Intellectual Property

    Protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights; copyright; trademark registration; design registration; confidentiality agreements; restraints of trade; licensing; franchising; e-commerce and technical assistance; research and development agreements; disputes and enforcements; injunctions and restraint of infringements;  confidentiality.

  • Joint Venture, Partnerships and Shareholder Arrangements

    Structuring of joint venture arrangements; establishment of joint ventures; managed joint ventures, partnerships, unit trust and shareholding arrangements; drafting shareholders/partnership/unitholders agreements; protection of interests.

  • Mergers

    Structuring and compliance issues for conduct of mergers; due diligence investigations; negotiations, compliance advice; licensing and regulatory issues; preparation of documentation; pre-merger actions; merger settlement steps and post merger actions and disputes.

  • Not for Profits/Charities

    Advice to companies limited by guarantee; co-operatives and incorporated associations; establishing and operating a Not for Profit entity; deductable gift recipient status and income tax exemptions; membership issues, day to day operations and corporate governance; compliance.

  • Structuring

    Advice and assistance in relation to the incorporation of entities and establishment of trusts; determination of appropriate structures including trusts, corporate entities and other trading entities; restructuring and estate planning; companies, joint ventures, co-operatives, associations, partnerships and trusts, family business structuring.

  • Superannuation

    Advising on the establishment of self-managed funds; advising on taxation implications of superannuation decisions; viewing and updating superannuation trust deeds; superannuation management and compliance; superannuation planning.

  • Taxation

    Personal and entity taxation issues; FBT, GST, CGT, tax implications of transactions; effective tax structuring of operations and transactions; tax implications of acquisitions and sales.

Main Navigation