General Questions Archives

Negotiating to restore shareholder relationships.

We assisted our client – a minority shareholder in two large Canberra-based private companies – to address concerns about management by the director/majority shareholder.

Work included advising the client in relation to options to plan for effective, smooth exit of both companies and future dispute resolution including valuation disputes.

Through negotiation and mediation the client secured agreement to a detailed buy-sell agreement included clauses aimed at addressing several known trigger points for friction in a fair and equitable manner, including a detailed pathway towards appointment of an alternate company accountant independent of the director/major shareholder.

Services

Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Successfully defending a deed of company arrangement.

We assisted our client – a deed administrator – to defend the validity of a deed of company arrangement in the Federal Court of Australia.

The central issues were whether the administrator’s report was sufficiently detailed and whether the vote in favour of the deed was valid.

Work included preparation of a detailed affidavit by the deed administrator, justifying his report and recommendations, and an appearance at hearing as solicitor-advocate.

Forth v R Developments Pty Ltd (Subject to a Deed of Company Arrangement) [2019] FCA 1004 (2 July 2019)

Services

Personal & Corporate Insolvency Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Restructuring a group of private companies and exploiting valuable IP.

We assisted our client – director/shareholder of a group of health sciences with international reach – to restructure for tax effectiveness and to efficiently protect and exploit valuable IP.

Closely following professional tax advice, we developed a structure that was able to quarantine past trading risk, minimise future legal and financial risk and introduce overall administrative efficiency.

Our work also included transfer/assignment of valuable IP holdings and introducing streamlined licensing arrangements.

In a later engagement, we also assisted this client with pre-contractual due diligence in relation to an international goods and services supply contract worth approximately $50 million.

Services

Business & Corporations Law

Insurance coverage advice and declinature risk protection.

We assisted our client – whose workers accidentally caused a bushfire leading to greater than $20 million damage – to make an insurance claim and protect against declinature risk.

Work included providing policy coverage advice, obtaining a solvency opinion, quickly effecting an appropriate, legal restructure (closely following professional external tax advice), and arranging to appoint an external administrator.

This work preserved and protected the business at the same time as it opened the door for direct access between those people affected by the fire and the relevant insurer.

Ritchie v Advanced Plumbing and Drains Pty Ltd [2019] NSWSC 1028 (16 August 2019)

Services

Personal & Corporate Insolvency Litigation & Dispute Resolution Business & Corporations Law

Consistent corporate governance and succession planning.

We assisted our client – one of several investors in multiple private companies – to achieve consistent corporate governance and succession planning.

Work included preparation of a bespoke corporate constitution dealing with topics such as key decision-making by directors and members; good and bad leaver provisions; dispute resolution, including valuation disputes; and enforceable confidentiality and intellectual property protections.

Afterwards, we assisted client to develop related legal precedents to use for current and future investment rounds including resolutions and share offer letters.

Services

Business & Corporations Law

We acknowledge the Ngunnawal people as traditional custodians of the Australian Capital Territory and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.

Canberra is our home. We love this place with its beautiful distinct seasons, varying landscapes, strong sense of community, bustling urban streets and wide, open space.

Canberra is also Ngunnawal country.

Over many thousands of years, the Ngunnawal people have developed culture and connection to their Country, becoming expert custodians with extraordinary knowledge of environmental care and balance.

We look forward to meaningful and genuine legal recognition of all First Nations People.

Want to learn more? Here is a short list of further resources:

Canberra Region Welcome to Country Stories from Ngunnawal Country – Mt Ainslie Stories from Ngunnawal Country – Black Mountain Stories from Ngunnawal Country – Jerrabomberra Wetlands Thunderstone Aboriginal Cultural Services You Can't Ask That — Series 1: Indigenous In My Blood It Runs Reconciliation Australia

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Identity checks are compulsory for all ACT and NSW land transactions. This legal requirement is for your protection, to minimise fraud-related risk, and protect the integrity of the Land Titles register.

We cannot act on your behalf if you are not willing to complete an ID check with us.

In line with our commitment to flexible and efficient service delivery, we offer a choice of three options.

Option 1 — InfoTrackID

We prefer to verify your ID remotely using the “InfoTrackID” platform. This option will require you to securely upload copies of your identity documents and complete a video security check. Your identity will be verified by our third party provider (Info Track) using a combination of document verification services (DVS), facial recognition technology, and optical character recognition. As at July 2026, the cost of this option was $35.00 inc GST per person. The fee (current at the time) will be billed to you as a disbursement at cost.

Option 2 — By appointment, at our Page (ACT) office

We can also verify your identity in-person at our Page (ACT) office. If you select this option, we will contact you to arrange an appointment. You will need to bring these documents with you. The costs of this appointment is usually included in our quoted professional fee.

Option 3 — Australia Post

It is also possible to visit a participating Australia Post outlet. If you select this option, we will contact you to provide a custom paper form to fill-in and take it with you. Australia Post will charge you a fee for this service (as at July 2026, the fee was $49 per person). You can read more about this option, here.

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