Corporate Law

Most sectors of the traditional pre-internet business world have struggled to keep pace with the changes brought about by the globalised digital economy. The law is no exception – around the world legal institutions are trying to catch up, often driven by the immediate need to catch the proceeds of digital transactions in the taxman’s…
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Business owners often ask me what they can do to protect their assets if their business runs into trouble. Unfortunately, all too often this question is asked when it’s too late. By the time they ask, trouble is already upon them e.g. they are being sued for failure to complete a contract on time or…
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We’ve discussed how to increase your chances of getting paid and how to follow up outstanding invoices. But what happens if you do everything right, but it still all goes wrong? Unfortunately this scenario does happen. Currently I am helping two ordinary hardworking fellows through exactly this sort of a situation. The gents, who trade…
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In a recent blog titled “Show me the money” I discussed the six steps you should take at the start of a working relationship with your customer, to better ensure you get paid promptly for the goods or services you provide. By applying these steps consistently and diligently you will certainly minimise your bad debt…
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I hope you all had a good break over summer – a few days down the South Coast? Skiing in Aspen? Taking in the Sydney Festival or summer sports? For many of us the end of our break, combined with the start of a fresh working year makes it an ideal time to start thinking…
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Traditionally the couple of weeks after Christmas are a time to get away from it all; go to the beach, watch the first over of the Melbourne Test or the start of the Sydney-Hobart, or perhaps take a break from thinking about the business. Whichever option you choose from the first three, the last one…
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We have heard quite a bit about “shadow directors” in the past few weeks, but with precious little explanation of what this term actually means. We all know that a company director is someone who has been appointed by resolution of the company (either the shareholders or board) and whose details have been notified to ASIC….
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The headline said it all: “Heat is on Slaters to settle cases” (Australian Financial Review 2 March 2016). The story went on to say that the bankers to troubled listed law firm Slater & Gordon are applying pressure on the firm to settle “a swathe of cases” in order to collect the fees due to…
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A client’s recent problems with a lease have highlighted the difficulties in enforcing promises made outside the principal contract. In this case my client was taking an assignment of a lease, as part of buying a business. It was concerned that some substantial plant and equipment, forming part of the leased property, required repair. It…
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  A recent transaction has caused me to think about those conjoined twins, risk and reward. My client is selling a business unit to a larger organisation. The business my client is selling is held in a number of unit trusts, so the buyer’s lawyers, a leading international law firm, are carrying out the normal…
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