Ongoing Operations
To thrive in Australia’s business landscape, you need tailored legal guidance that fits your enterprise’s size and culture.
We are your one-stop legal adviser for all your ongoing business needs.
We provide clear pragmatic advice so you can feel secure in your decisions.
Treating your business like it’s our own
Once you’ve laid robust foundations for your Australian operations, you need someone with a deep commercial understanding of your business in Australia and its place within your global group to provide ongoing legal support. Your Australian operations alone may not be large enough to justify an Australian in-house counsel, but you still need advice from time to time specific to the Australian context on the myriad of issues that can arise as you do business in Australia.
As Australian external legal counsel, we are our clients’ trusted partner on the ground. We provide dedicated support to our international clients, and have a reputation as a reliable steward of their businesses’ operational needs.
Our services include:
- ensuring your distribution agreements remain appropriate for the Australian market
- employment advice for HR issues with your Australian employees and ensuring you remain compliant with your Australian statutory obligations to your staff
- preparing reviewing and/or negotiating your Australian contracts to ensure your interests are safeguarded as your business grows
- ensuring your Australian operations comply with tax, consumer protection and environmental requirements
- providing ongoing monitoring of your work health and safety duties and their implementation them to avoid any personal liability for duty holders (such as foreign directors)
- advising and negotiating leases
- helping you to comply with your ongoing reporting obligations to regulators such as TGA and AICIS
- advising on issues which could potentially develop into a dispute
ONGOING OPERATIONS
Our clients are at the forefront of innovation and sustainability across diverse sectors such as manufacturing, health, biotech, life sciences, industrial chemicals, cosmetics, and mining.
With your legal affairs safely in our hands, you can concentrate on your business goals. Whether it’s expanding your market presence, developing new technologies, or enhancing operational efficiencies, we are your trusted partner to ensure the legal side is covered.
Additionally, we work with you to:
International
client base
Our clients are overseas companies ranging from niche operations to multinationals with thousands of employees and billions in turnover. Every client receives the same detailed attention and dedication to their commercial goals.
Recent testimonials
Far better prepared than the other side
The way Fiona puts things together is exceptional; it’s diligent and thorough. In the cases that she’s handled for us, I’ve noticed we’ve been far better prepared than the other side. And, of course, that is the reason why we were successful!! It was only because of how diligent and how thorough Fiona is
Sandro Ianni
Head of HUB Region
Oceania/South East Asia,
LISEC Australia Pty Ltd
Maintains the human touch for her clients
Litigation can be a daunting maze, but Fiona was able to understand that it can be a rollercoaster, as well as break down what was happening so that we could work together effectively.
Ross Campbell
Managing Director,
HOMAG Australia Pty Ltd
Probing questions to get results
Fiona’s understanding of the business means she asks probing questions when we’re talking about a dispute or a claim we’re looking at pursuing.
She gets her head around the issues quickly and cuts through to what matters, including the commercial reasons why we would pursue one case and not another. And then she keeps us focused on what’s important.
She’s also able to use different strategies to get a positive result, not just litigation. If you can get the result you want without going to court, that’s excellent.
Malcolm Stewart
Managing Director,
Preformed Line Products (Australia) Pty Ltd
Focused on the actual issues
A common tactic in legal representation is for the other side to make claims and counterclaims to keep your lawyer distractedly spending your money chasing everything down. It’s a trap to wear you down and tie up your lawyer on things that aren’t the main point.
Fiona doesn’t let that happen. She keeps the matter focused on the end goal and the actual issues.
Also, with Fiona, you don’t get passed through the firm to people who might not understand your business. You’re dealing with Fiona, with her extensive network of colleagues and barristers.
Chad Brown
CEO,
James Glen Pty Ltd
Rapid grasp of key concepts in complicated matters
Even though our matter was involved, and I had to send through a lot of documentation, Fiona grasped the whole overview and concept of everything really, really quickly.
I was surprised how little we had to explain. Instead, she quickly gave us a detached, professional opinion about whether our case was worth pursuing.
With Fiona, it’s not like sitting with lawyers in boardrooms, getting bombarded or feeling like you’re a nuisance. It was actually pleasant.
Michel Scheuble
Managing Director,
Fracht Australia Pty Ltd
Excellent cross-cultural communicator
Fiona immediately understood the size of our business and the scale of our problem — being treated dismissively by a larger company. She knew exactly how to defend us. Now, they know her by name in the home office and often ask for her opinion.
Fiona is a great lawyer and an adept cross-cultural communicator. She’s insightful, listens well and provides seasoned advice with great customer service.
We appreciate that our work isn’t handed down to a junior associate; it’s handled by Fiona herself with all her skill. And with her experience, she quickly understands our context and the situation, and gives it due consideration and comes back with options that I would not have come up with myself.
Dan Credazzi
Country Manager,
Australia & New Zealand, DNV Imatis AS
Achieved all our goals
We found a competitor had substantially copied part of our software so asked Fiona to provide advice regarding our legal options and also how to manage aspects of the media communications.
Hans Egger
The Modern Adviser
Co-Founder Astute Wheel
Very capable in complex matters
Fiona works hard, is extremely motivated and positive, very capable in complex legal matters, realistic and very successful. At the same time she is a nice person too.
Wolfgang Bennedik
Former Managing Director,
Connect Hearing Australia Pty Ltd
Strong team member
Fiona has provided the NACC and its members with valuable advice, and been instrumental in the chamber’s growth. Fiona is a strong team member and I highly recommend her and her work.
Sophia Demetriades Toftdahl
President,
Norwegian Australian Chamber of Commerce
Using the law to get the right outcomes
Fiona is an exceptional lawyer who blends her ethics and morality into the way she practices law. Rather than using the law as a weapon, she leverages it as a guide to get the right outcomes.
Phillip Evans
Founder, Managing Director
eeStrategy
Culturally sensitive and tactful — but frank
Fiona’s assistance has been invaluable in negotiating the terms of several joint venture agreements and in resolving a few potentially expensive disputes, avoiding the need to commence court proceedings.
Fiona’s legal advice is always honest, practical and commercial. She has the ability to analyse a problem and master the detail whilst not losing sight of the big picture and commerciality of the situation. She explains complex legal concepts clearly and at a level that can be easily understood and applied in a commercial context.
At times her advice has needed to be frank and not necessarily what I wanted to hear. In those circumstances, she has always managed to communicate that advice with tact and understanding.
In addition to being an excellent lawyer, I have really appreciated the respect and sensitivity which she has shown towards my indigenous cultural heritage.
Scott Franks
CEO,
Tocomwall Pty Ltd
Negotiating excellent results
Fiona has saved us a lot of money negotiating complex contracts with large corporate venues. Her skills negotiating with difficult individuals and keeping track of the details while not losing sight of our broader goals are fantastic.
She achieved a great outcome for us every time.
She’s also helped me to be across the myriad legal issues and requirements that are often overwhelming when you don’t have in-house lawyers.
I am so grateful for her expertise, friendly manner and integrity.
Ainsley Poulos
Director,
Eastside Speech Solutions