Commercial Lawyer
Gold Coast

BUSINESS
Your business is our business

Whether you are starting a new business, purchasing an existing business or have been operating a business for a long time, you need professional advisors who understand you and your needs.

With a particular focus on asset protection and taxation flexibility, we understand business and are able to offer practical, cost effective legal solutions that will have a real effect on your bottom line.

Our expertise is assisting with small to medium enterprises, their owners and their other professional advisors to provide targeted solutions to legal problems. We assist clients in all aspects of commercial and corporate law, so if you would like to talk about.

COMMERCIAL LAW
Commercial Law services to Gold Coast Businesses

Structuring and asset protection

Proper structuring and taxation flexibility are vital for the protection of your assets. At Ballantyne Law Group Gold Coast, we work with you and your accounting and financial advisors to ensure your business and investments have the most effective structures in place to assist in preventing attack by creditors. From sole proprietorships through to companies, discretionary trusts and more complex arrangements, your assets are precious. Keeping them safe is our priority. If you would like to discuss structuring your business, your asset protection or any other matter with our team.

Corporate advisory and regulatory compliance

As laws around corporate compliance become more stringent, it’s crucial for businesses to understand all legal requirements and ramifications. Remember, breaches of the law — even inadvertently — can incur hefty financial penalties and tarnish both your reputation and market performance. At Ballantyne Law Group Gold Coast, our team’s expert legal advice will keep you informed, current and always on the right side of the law. If you have any question in regards to corporate advisory or any other matter with our team, please contact us.

Buying or selling a business

Buying or selling a business can be complex, no matter the size. It is crucial to obtain the right legal advice, preferably before signing a contract, to ensure that your interests are protected. Talk to our team at Ballantyne Law Group Gold Coast and discover how we can guide you through every step of the contract process, keeping you informed of all rights, obligations, conditions and potential pitfalls.

Business succession planning

You’ve worked hard to make your business a success and now you’re ready to hand the reins to someone new. Congratulations, but remember, this is no time for complacency. Whether selling your business or introducing a new executive team, Ballantyne Law Group Gold Coast specialises in business succession planning, providing the very best advice and strategies for you, the business itself, and the transition to new leadership/ownership. If you would like to discuss business succession planning or any other matter, please contact us.

Investment Trusts and Self-Managed Superannuation Funds

Discretionary trusts and self managed superannuation funds are increasingly commonly used investment vehicles. For many of us, our financial futures will rely heavily on the performance of superannuation and trusts. While market forces will always exert influence, at Ballantyne Law Group Gold Coast we have the professional expertise to provide certainty that your superannuation and trust arrangements meet all legal requirements and deliver the very best results for you, both now and in the future. If you would like to discuss Investment Trusts or Self-managed Super Funds, please contact us.

Joint venture, partnership and unitholder agreements

When embarking on a business arrangement with another party or parties, a professionally drafted joint venture/partnership/unitholder agreement is essential. Such legal documents detail the structure of an enterprise, help protect your individual investment and offer guidance with regard to liability in the case of dispute or other circumstances. Ballantyne Law Group Gold Coast can advise you on all agreements. Our professional service is your reassurance. If you would like to discuss Joint Venture, Partnership agreements or any other matter with our team, please contact us.

Intellectual property

If you create something – be it a product, concept, new knowledge or ideas – it may have value and warrant protection. That’s where Intellectual Property (IP) comes in. IP is a safety net for you, protecting your proprietary rights and boosting your brand/identity. Talk to us at Ballantyne Law Group Gold Coast about how we can devise and integrate the right IP strategy for your creativity. If you would like to discuss Intellectual Property (IP) or any other matter with our team, please contact us.

Small business legal advice

Australia has more than 2.2 million small businesses employing half the nation’s total workforce … and yet they are the most vulnerable businesses of all. It is so important to seek the very best legal advice to protect and sustain your small business. Get in touch with the team at Ballantyne Law Group Gold Coast and let us help you on issues including contracts and agreements, brand and asset protection, fair trade and employment laws, industry standards, taxation and more. Are you running a business and would like to discuss legal matters with us? Please contact our team.

Start-ups

In recent years, start-up businesses have become an exciting and disruptive presence on the traditional business landscape. Yet despite an often daring innovation and entrepreneurship, the essential legal requirements must still be met to validate and protect your start-up company. Get in touch with Ballantyne Law Group Gold Coast for advice on matters such as intellectual property, trademarks and copyright, Non-Disclosure Agreements, business structure, investment and liability. Are you in the process of starting a new business ? Have you recently opened a business? Please contact our team.

Shareholder dispute law

The last thing any business needs is to be embroiled in a long legal dispute, especially one that ends up in court. Whatever the issue, disputes command time and money that could be much better used keeping your business going. However, should a dispute arise — and believe us, they do — the team at Ballantyne Law Group Gold Coast is ready to step in and provide high quality professional services geared towards early and efficient resolution, all without breaking the bank. If you would like to discuss shareholder Dispute Law or any other matter, please contact our team.

Business and commercial disputes can take many forms and involve just as many entities and variables. What unites them all is the toll they take on your time, money, energy and business operation. This is especially true when it comes to litigation. If you’re heading to court, Ballantyne Law Group Gold Coast is an invaluable ally, applying our experience and diligence towards achieving the best outcome for you. If you would like to discuss business and commercial litigation, please contact our team.

Debt recovery

It’s a simple enough concept — you do the work, your work is approved, you get paid. No problem, right? Trouble is, securing payment for services rendered can become a thorny issue, one that affects businesses from small sole traders to corporate giants. When debt recovery becomes an issue, Ballantyne Law Group Gold Coast is here for you. Through letters of demand, payment negotiations and other options and services, all provided within a proper legal framework, we’re here to take the burden off you and, most importantly, recover what you are owed. If you would like to discuss Debt Recovery or any other matter with our team, please contact us .

FAQs
Frequently asked questions

If you have a legal question relating to your business, you should speak to a commercial lawyer.  At Ballantyne Law Group, we offer fixed fee initial consultations where we can provide preliminary overviews of legal matters. In our experience, the earlier you speak to a commercial lawyer the better, particularly if you are considering establishing, buying or selling a business.

The commercial law team helps our small-to-medium enterprise clients with their legal business issues, both transactional and litigious. Feel free to contact us for assistance on any aspect of commercial law, including:

  • Business sales and purchases.
  • Share sales and purchases.
  • Start-up law.
  • Business structuring, including shareholder agreements, partnership agreements, unitholder agreements and other corporate governance documents.
  • Business succession planning, including structuring and restructuring.
  • Preparing, reviewing and advising on commercial agreements, including terms of trade, credit terms and other contracts.
  • Intellectual property.
  • Revenue law, including taxation, duty and payroll tax.
  • Employment law.
  • Debt recovery.
  • Commercial litigation.
  • Insolvency, including assisting with ‘safe harbour’ provisions.

There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to business sales and purchases. Furthermore, buying and selling a business is not the same as buying or selling residential property, for which an element of standardisation exists across most matters. From the context of commercial law, all businesses are different. This means there can be legal pitfalls and risks associated with even the smallest entities. For example, factors that will impact the quantity of legal work required, and the subsequent costs, include:

  • Whether there is a lease in place.
  • Whether there are employees.
  • The existence of supply agreements or other key contracts.
  • Regulatory issues such as liquor licenses or other licenses necessary to operate a type of business.
  • Whether there is registered intellectual property, such as trademarks.
  • Restraints of trade.

 

Structuring refers to how a business is owned and it is critical for a number of reasons. Ballantyne Law Group Gold Coast rarely recommends that people own a business in their own name. A business is an investment and carries some risk, regardless of its size. The best type of structure for a business depends on several factors, including:

  • how many people have an ownership interest.
  • whether the business will likely be raising money through further investment in the future.
  • the owners’ exit strategy.
  • whether there are any regulatory restrictions on ownership
GET IN TOUCH
Let's talk about your business
PHONE:

07 5606 7332

GOLD COAST:

45 Nerang St, Southport

BRISBANE:

18/324 Queen Street