Practice areas

Our practice areas, advised across tax and law together.

Tax law

Tax law sits at the centre of what we do. We advise clients, accountants and advisers across all areas of income tax, GST, state taxes (including stamp duty and land tax), superannuation, revenue authority engagements, and structuring and restructuring. We act on transactions, ongoing positions and disputes alike.

How we assist

All areas of income tax
GST
State taxes, including stamp duty and land tax
Superannuation
ATO, SRO and TPB engagements
Private rulings, reviews, audits, objections and litigation
Structuring and restructuring advice
Risk management
Business transactions
Real property and development
Private wealth and family groups
International tax and residency
FBT, payroll tax and employment taxes
SMSF advisory

Commercial law

We prepare and negotiate the agreements that govern how a business operates and how its owners deal with one another, with the commercial and tax implications considered together.

How we assist

Commercial contracts and supply arrangements
Shareholders and unitholders agreements
Partnership and joint venture agreements
Loan and security documentation
Terms of trade and engagement terms
Confidentiality and IP assignment
Corporate governance and resolutions
Commercial dealings between related entities

Estate planning

Good estate planning is about control passing cleanly to the right people at the right time, with tax and asset protection in mind. We design plans that work with the structures already in a client's life.

How we assist

Wills, including testamentary trust wills
Enduring powers of attorney
Appointment of medical treatment decision makers
Succession of control of family trusts and companies
Superannuation death benefit planning
Business succession arrangements
Planning for blended families and vulnerable beneficiaries
Tax-effective structuring of inheritances

Deceased estates

When someone passes away, we guide executors and beneficiaries through administration in Victoria with care and clarity, and we advise where an estate is contested.

How we assist

Applications for grants of probate
Letters of administration where there is no will
Advising and assisting executors
Estate administration and distribution
Tax obligations of deceased estates
Family provision claims under the Administration and Probate Act 1958 (Vic)
Advice to beneficiaries on their entitlements
Resolving estate disputes

Property law and conveyancing

We act on the purchase, sale and holding of property in Victoria, with the duty, GST and structuring questions handled as part of the same advice rather than left to chance.

How we assist

Residential and commercial conveyancing
Contracts of sale and vendor statements
Off-the-plan purchases
Land transfer duty and applicable exemptions
GST and the margin scheme on property
Leasing, both retail and commercial
Choosing the right entity to hold property
Transfers between related parties and trusts

Business sales and purchases

Buying or selling a business is where the legal documents and the tax position are most tightly linked. We run both sides of that work together, so the deal that is signed is the deal that was intended.

How we assist

Business and share sale agreements
Structuring the sale for tax efficiency
Small business CGT concessions
Due diligence, both buy-side and sell-side
Heads of agreement and term sheets
Earn-outs, warranties and indemnities
Restraint of trade and transition arrangements
Completion and post-completion matters

Entity establishment and reviews

The right entity protects assets, supports the tax position and makes succession simpler. We establish companies, trusts and other entities, and review existing structures to check they still serve the client.

How we assist

Establishing companies and trusts
Discretionary and unit trusts
Company and trust group structures
Reviewing existing structures
Asset protection planning
Partnership and joint venture vehicles
Governance and constituent documents

Trust law

Trusts are central to how many businesses and families hold wealth, and the deed governs everything. We advise on the terms of trusts, their variation, and the succession of control, reading the existing documents carefully before recommending any change.

How we assist

Advising on trust deeds and their terms
Reviewing and varying trust deeds
Trust vesting and extensions
Succession of control of trusts
Trustee powers, duties and disputes
Changing trustees and appointors
Trust distributions and resolutions
Duty and tax review of trust arrangements

Binding financial agreements

A binding financial agreement sets out how assets are to be dealt with between partners, whether before, during or after a relationship. We prepare and advise on these agreements with care, so they are clear and properly made.

How we assist

Agreements before a relationship or marriage
Agreements during a relationship or marriage
Agreements after separation
Advising on the effect of a proposed agreement
Reviewing an agreement prepared by another party
Coordinating with the relevant independent advice

And more

The areas above are where we are engaged most often, but they are not the limit of what we do. Much of our work sits across several of them at once, and matters rarely arrive in neat categories.

If your situation is not described above, it is still worth asking. And if we cannot help you, we will make sure you get the right help. We are here to help, and it is what we pride ourselves on.

Get in touch and we will tell you honestly whether we can assist.

For accountants & advisers

A commercial law and tax law resource that works alongside you.

If your client needs documents drafted or a tax law question answered, we can take that on while you keep the relationship. We do not, and will never, offer tax compliance services, we coordinate with you throughout, and we do not replace you. Ask us about our referral program.

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Not sure which area fits?

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