Business Lawyers Brisbane | Commercial Lawyers

Name: Stanford Legal
Telephone: +61483980001

Legal help for Brisbane businesses

Most business legal work is paperwork you'd rather get right once.

The structure you trade through, the terms you trade on, the lease you sign and the agreement between the owners do most of the work of protecting a business. We help Brisbane business owners set those up properly at the start, and review them when the business changes: a new partner, a second location, a large new client or a sale. We quote fixed fees for defined work, so you know the cost before you commit.

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Commercial leases in Brisbane

For many businesses, the lease is the biggest commitment they make.

Before you sign, we check the rent and how it's reviewed, the outgoings, the term and any options, whether you can assign the lease if you sell the business, and what make good will require when you leave. If your premises are a retail shop, the Retail Shop Leases Act 1994 may apply, which gives you extra protections and requires the landlord to give you a disclosure statement before you sign. Retail lease disputes in Queensland can go to mediation through the Queensland Small Business Commissioner, and we can help you prepare for it.

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Buying or selling a Brisbane business

Due diligence first, then a contract that matches what you found.

When you buy a business, we check what you're actually getting: the assets and goodwill, the lease and whether it can be assigned to you, employee entitlements, any security interests registered on the PPSR, and the restraint stopping the seller from competing with you. When you sell, we prepare the contract, deal with the landlord on the lease assignment, and make sure the price and the handover work as agreed.

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"I simply can’t thank and commend Richie, Steven, Renata and the whole team at Stanford Financial enough for making my mortgage refinance as smooth as humanly possible."

Dan

Stanford Financial Client

"We are so Blessed with our new Home. Thanks to Stanford Legal, Laura was a joy to communicate with anytime we needed to enquire. Quick, reliable and very Trustworthy."

Katrina Emberson

Stanford Legal Client

"We are beyond grateful for Richie and the team at Stanford! 🙌🏻 Through every hurdle and challenge, they went exceptionally far to help get our application through."

Khirsten Mamangun

Stanford Financial Client

"One thing I always love and look for when choosing people to guide me is how much time and presence they give. They treated us like we were the only client they had."

Dragica Radosavljevic

Stanford Legal Client

"All the team at Stanford were good to deal with. If you're a Veteran struggling to get a loan approved because you're on Incaps, or Super, speak to them."

Stewart S

Stanford Financial Client

"This is the second time we’ve used stanford financial, and once again the experience was outstanding."

Blake Whitehead

Stanford Financial Client

"Phenomenal service. Thank you to the Stanford Legal team for all your help & guidance."

Bryony Winsor

Stanford Legal Client

"I can’t recommend Stanford legal enough. All 3 property sales have been seamless, professional and efficient. The team are amazing and will look after you."

Christie Johnston

Stanford Legal Client

"The team at Stanford Financial are brilliant! I was referred to them by a friend and dealing with them has been a fantastic experience."

Andrew Bell

Stanford Financial Client

"I honestly can't thank the team enough at Stanford Financial, especially Richie and Mitch! They both went above and beyond to get my finance sorted, and they did it all within 24 hours!"

Jamie Harris

Stanfor Financial Client

QUESTIONS

Frequently asked questions

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Do you act for businesses across Brisbane?

Yes, from our office at Level 4, 95 North Quay, Brisbane City, and from Springfield Tower. Most work can be done by phone and email, and we're happy to meet in person.

What are terms of trade and do I need them?

They are your standard conditions of doing business: payment terms, interest on late payment, who carries risk, warranties, and how disputes are dealt with. If you supply goods or services before being paid, they are the difference between a debt you can enforce and an argument. They also allow you to register a security interest on the PPSR, which is what protects your goods if a customer goes under.

What is the PPSR and why does it matter?

The Personal Property Securities Register records security interests over assets other than land. If you supply goods on credit, lease equipment or take security, registering protects your priority. If you do not register, an unperfected security interest generally vests in the customer on their liquidation, which means you lose the goods and join the queue of unsecured creditors.

Can you review my contract before I sign it?

Yes, and that is usually the best value work we do. A fixed-fee review tells you what you are agreeing to, which terms are outside market, and what to ask for. It is worth knowing that standard form contracts with small businesses are subject to the unfair contract terms regime, which asks whether a term causes a significant imbalance, is not reasonably necessary to protect a legitimate interest, and would cause detriment if relied on.

What should I check before signing a commercial lease?

The rent and how it's reviewed, the outgoings, the term and any options, whether you can assign it if you sell the business, make good at the end, and whether the Retail Shop Leases Act applies.

Do I need a lawyer to buy a small business?

For anything with a lease, employees or meaningful plant, yes. The purchase contract is one document but the risk sits in the assignment of the lease, the security interests registered against the assets, the employee entitlements and any restraint on the seller. A short due diligence exercise is far cheaper than discovering the lease cannot be assigned after you have paid.

Can you help with an employment issue?

We can help with employment contracts, contractor agreements, restraints and the employment aspects of buying or selling a business. For a contested unfair dismissal or a complex industrial matter we will tell you honestly if you would be better served by a specialist, and we would rather say so early than learn on your file.

How quickly can you turn work around?

A contract or lease review is usually a few business days, and faster if you are up against a deadline and tell us. Company set-ups and terms of trade are typically a week. If something is urgent, say so when you call 0483 980 001 and we will tell you honestly whether we can meet it.

Business lawyers in Brisbane

Legal help for Brisbane businesses

Commercial leases in Brisbane

Buying or selling a Brisbane business

Looking for a different commercial service?

Leasing a property

Buying a property

Selling a property

Conveyancing

Succession planning

Property law

Wills and estates

Brisbane lawyers

Held to the standards the profession sets, not just our own.

Priced for the size of the decision

Meet your legal team

Logan Stanford

Victoria Eastwood

Janelle May

Jo-Anne Furlong

Laura Stuart

Ryder Simms-Reeve

Trusted by families across South East Queensland

Frequently asked questions

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