Whether you’re a start-up, planning to buy or sell a business, or looking for advice on a business dispute, Catchpole Legal has the expertise to ensure that you’re business runs as smoothly as possible.
We offer a wide range of practical legal solutions for individuals, start-ups and small to medium sized enterprises.
Our lawyers can help you with:
- Business structures: If you’re establishing a new business enterprise we can help you make sure that you are setting the business up soundly, whether by partnership, joint venture, company, trust or franchise. If you’re looking to restructure your business we can help with partnership dissolution and corporate restructures.
- Business contracts: Our lawyers can prepare and/or review all manner of contracts and deeds, including purchase or sale of business, put and call options, franchise agreements, supply agreements, service agreements, distribution agreements, partnership agreements, commercial supply contracts and anything else that your business requires. When it comes to the sale or purchase of a business, we’ll make sure that the contract terms and conditions are suitable for your business now and into the future and ensure that due diligence standards are met. For buyers, we ensure that you get what you pay for – for sellers, we help minimise risks associated with selling a business.
- Commercial disputes and commercial litigation: Regrettably disputes arise in business. Whilst the majority of these disputes can be avoided by planning for their resolution at the outset of the business through supply, shareholders or partnership agreements, the reality is few people plan for this during the new business honeymoon period. We offer dispute resolution services and business litigation covering a wide range of problems including breach of contract, building and property disputes, debt recovery, copyright infringement, partnership disputes and corporations law.
- Corporations law: We can assist with shareholders agreements, advice on corporate governance, documenting company administrations.
- Franchises: If you’re looking to buy into a franchise we can help you go through the franchise agreement and franchisor disclosure documents to make sure that you are aware of all of the issues that could make or break your new business.
- Copyright, trademarks and patents: We can help you manage and enforce your intellectual property rights, including litigation where needed. We can also help you with registering designs, patents and trademarks.
- Property and leasing: We can assist with retail leasing and commercial leasing for both landlords and tenants. We can also assist with the sale or purchase of commercial property.
- Commercial law and small business legal advice: We offer small business legal help in a wide range of matters including trade practices law and consumer law.
- Workplace and employment: We can draw up or review employment contracts and workplace agreements as well as assist with disputes and unfair dismissals. We can also assist with occupational health and safety issues.
- Bankruptcy and insolvency: We can assist individuals or corporate directors when insolvency looms. When you just can’t pay your creditors as and when required, sometimes the only option bankruptcy or in the case of a company, winding up in insolvency. These options are not the only options available to distressed debtors and all other options should be considered first. If you are already bankrupt or your company is in liquidation, we can assist your dealings with liquidators and trustees in bankruptcy if matters become litigious or you are required to be examined publicly.
- Taxation and finance: we can draft and review mortgages, guarantees, charges and other securities documentation as well as advise in regard to GST, Capital Gains and Land Tax.
- Business succession and asset protection: You need a plan in place to make sure that your business and personal assets are protected. We can work with your business and family to devise a plan that keeps your hard won assets safe through unit, discretionary and family trusts, Wills and/or Powers of Attorney.
Whatever your circumstances, a good commercial lawyer on your side can help you mitigate the costly risks associated with running any business.
Contact us to find out more or to arrange a consultation with one of our lawyers in Alphington, Brunswick or at your home or office.