Publications

What do the Business Lawyers do?

We assist with most types of legal work for local and international commercial, private and not-for-profit clients, including:

• Establishing and structuring businesses, companies, trusts and not-for-profit organisations, and preparing shareholder, partnership, joint venture, employment and other key commercial agreements and contracts.
• Advising on business sales, acquisitions, restructuring and ownership changes.
• Protecting brands, intellectual property and business assets.
• Advising on compliance, governance and legal risk management.
• Resolving business, shareholder, partnership, employment, and supplier, consumer, strata, estate, building and construction disputes.
• Privacy, data protection, data breaches and information access issues.
• Advice and training to support business growth and minimise legal risk.
• Complex estate and trust planning and administration.
• Work generally involving more than one area of law.

Do you only help when there is a dispute?

No.  While we are every day involved in resolving disputes, an important part of our role is preventative –helping businesses manage legal risk, comply with legal obligations and avoid disputes before they arise.  This also includes obligations relevant to a specific industry, and more general compliance issues such as licensing, consumer law, privacy and workplace laws.

We act for a wide range of clients including sole traders, partnerships, private companies, family businesses, not-for-profit organisations and larger corporations operating in Australia and overseas.

Can you help if I am buying or selling a business?

Yes, we regularly assist with business purchases and sales, including legal due diligence, contract preparation, negotiation and settlement to best ensure the transaction proceeds smoothly.

How much does it cost to engage a business lawyer?

Costs will vary depending on the complexity of the matter and the services required. We will charge you according to the time our team spends on the matter or may quote a fixed cost where the work is not subject to changes or negotiation (eg to prepare a first draft). Before commencing work, we will provide an estimate of costs and agree the scope of work with you.

How do you work with the other specialist groups at Carroll & O’Dea including employment, not-for-profit and immigration?

We work closely with the other groups and draw on their resources as needed for a project.

How do you integrate your work with work by a client’s accountant?

A high proportion of our work involves co-ordination with the internal or external accountants for our clients. We are always pleased to work with existing accountants for a client, since they will have the best knowledge of the client’s affairs.

Who should I contact to discuss a possible job for the Business Lawyers Group?

The first point of contact is Selwyn Black, Partner, on phone (02) 8226 7359, or email sblack@codea.com.au.

This article was published on 12 June by Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers and is based on the relevant state of the law (legislation, regulations and case law) at that date for the jurisdiction in which it is published. Please note this article does not constitute legal advice. If you ever need legal advice or want to discuss a legal problem, please contact us to see if we can help. You can reach us on 1800 059 278 or via the Contact us page on our website. (www.codea.com.au).