Corporations Law & lawyers

Corporations law in Australia is largely governed by two statutes enacted by the Federal Parliament:

(1) Corporations Act 2001; and
(2) Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001

Together both of the above Acts are called "corporations legislation".

The corporations legislation is administered by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission ("ASIC"), which reports to the Treasurer.

If you require legal assistance regarding any aspect of company law or corporate law, then please complete your free legal enquiry form on the right, or click here.

Some key specialty areas of corporate law in which corporate lawyers practising are described below.

Corporate lawyers act for the full range of corporate entities from early stage, high growth companies to larger corporations. Corporate lawyers act for proprietors, management, venture capitalists and business angels on a variety of transactions. Corporate lawyers also advise on other business structures such as partnerships, LLPs, collective investment schemes and corporate structures for not-for-profit organisations.

Corporate Solicitor Services

Corporate lawyers provide a comprehensive range of corporate legal services including advice in connection with:

• Mergers, Acquisitions & Disposals
• Management Buy Outs/Ins
• Corporate finance
• Company restructuring
• Company formations
• Company secretary compliance
• Shareholder and investor arrangements
• Directors duties & responsibilities

If you require legal assistance regarding any aspect of company law or corporate law, then please complete your free legal enquiry form on the right, or click here.

Corporate lawyers generally advise on the following aspects of company and corporate Law:

• Angel investment
• Banking and finance
• Capital restructuring and re-organisations
• Company formations
• Companies Act regulation
• Corporate finance
• Cross border transactions
• Director's duties
• Factoring and invoice discounting
• Financial services
• Corporate funding
• Group restructurings
• Heads of terms/memoranda of understanding
• Joint ventures 
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Non-disclosure agreements/confidentiality agreements
• Partnership agreements
• Private Equity and Sale and purchase of assets
• Sale and purchase of shares
• Shareholder agreements
• Secured and structured debt financing
• Taxation
• Venture capital

If you require legal assistance regarding any aspect of company law or corporate law, then please complete your free legal enquiry form on the right, or click here.

Corporate Lawyers advise clients on all aspects of Corporate Law ranging from compliance to capital raising, mergers and acquisitions, ASX listing and other exit strategies. As referred to above, some of the main Corporate lawyer services generally include:

• Capital raising
• Publically listed companies:
• Secondary raisings;
• Placements;
• Initial public offers (IPO)
• Issues without disclosure (low doc issues);
• Advice on raising capital without a prospectus.

Company secretariat

Acting as company secretary of client companies including:

• Preparation of notices and minutes for meetings of directors and members;
• Maintenance of minute books and statutory registers; 
• Review of statutory records;
• Preparation and lodgement of ASIC forms; 
• Acting as registered office address for Australian  registered company’s;
• Reservation of company names;
• Incorporation and deregistration of companies; and 
• Business names registration, maintenance and terminations.

If you require legal assistance regarding any aspect of company law or corporate law, then please complete your free legal enquiry form on the right, or click here.

Corporate Governance issues include:

• Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) advice and compliance;
• ASX Listing Rules advice and compliance;
• Employee share and option schemes;
• Establishment of dividend reinvestment plans;
• Share Purchase Plans (SPP’s);
• Buy - sell agreements.

Corporate Compliance

It is important that companies or corporations comply with the requirements of all regulatory bodies such as:

• Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC);
• Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC);
• Australian Stock Exchange  (ASX);
• Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB).

Mergers and acquisitions

The main services provided by a corporation lawyer with respect mergers and acquisitions generally include:

• Due diligence;  and
• Negotiation and drafting of share and asset sale agreements.

Corporate lawyers can also advise with respect to Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) applications.

The main pieces of Commonwealth legislation pertaining to corporate law include:

• Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 (Cth)
• Australian Securities and Investments Commission Regulations 2001 (Cth)
• Corporations Act 2001 (Cth)
• Corporations Regulations 2001 (Cth)

If you require legal assistance regarding any aspect of company law or corporate law, then please complete your free legal enquiry form on the right, or click here.

Further Resources - Corporate Law & Lawyers