Commercial and Corporate Law

We bring a deep understanding of the intricacies and the pressures of running a small business, and deep knowledge of small business legal requirements. Our experienced, passionate team of corporate and commercial lawyers offers the tailored legal support you need to navigate whatever challenges you face: legal advice for starting a business, small business legal protections, contracts, compliance, dispute resolution and more. Armed with strategic yet plain-spoken knowledge and insight, you can make confident decisions and stay focused on what matters most: growing your business.

Needing corporate legal advice in Melbourne? Look no further than Mahons. From corporate compliance advice to mergers and acquisitions, our expert corporate law solicitors will guide you through the maze of responsibilities and regulatory obligations, and give you the advice you need to steer your company through challenges and capitalise on opportunities. We work closely with businesses of all sizes to provide practical, up-to-date legal guidance that supports sound decision-making and sustainable growth, while keeping you fully compliant with all relevant legislation.

The right legal structure sets your business up for long-term success. Our business structure lawyers can help you identify the best shape for your organisation, whether you’re launching a startup or restructuring an existing entity. We also offer all the company formation legal advice you need to get your new business venture off on the right foot, by helping you weigh up the pros and cons of trusts, companies, partnerships and sole trader arrangements. We’ll then implement whichever structure best suits your goals, protects your assets and supports the future growth of your business.

Clear, watertight contracts form the backbone of any successful business. As experts in Melbourne contract law, we’ll negotiate, draft, review and implement the clear, practical, sound agreements that will protect your interests and minimise the risk of future disputes. From one-off contracts to broader commercial arrangements, we ensure every clause reflects your intentions and best interests, and aligns with your commercial objectives. We’ll work as your contract negotiation lawyer and your contract review lawyer, offering sharp and unbiased advice that gives you a clear lay of the land.

Every commercial relationship benefits from well-drafted agreements. As your supplier contract or service agreement lawyer, we work to understand your operations and ensure every business agreement you enter is fair, enforceable, forward-thinking, and aligns with your interests. We can also conduct a contract terms review, reading and analysing the fine print so you don’t have to, then offering clear, practical advice focused not on legal formalities, but on real-world commercial outcomes.

Whether you’re leasing a premises or granting occupancy to a tenant, a well-negotiated lease is essential. A team of experienced commercial property lease solicitors, at Mahons we help both landlords and tenants understand their rights, obligations and risks before they sign on the dotted line. Our team can conduct a lease agreement legal review to ensure the terms are transparent and fair, protecting both parties and helping to avoid future disputes.

Company shareholder agreements are key to preventing misunderstandings and disputes within an organisation. At Mahons we work with companies of all sizes, providing everything from business partnership legal advice for smaller entities, to shareholders rights guidance for those who have invested in a publicly traded company. We’ll draft agreements that clarify decision-making powers, profit sharing agreements, dispute resolution processes and exit strategies. Our goal is to create certainty for all parties, while supporting the business as it grows.

A business’s most valuable assets are often those represented on paper: your brand, your content and your creations. As expert intellectual property lawyers in Melbourne, we help you identify, protect and commercialise your IP through patent application, trademark protection, copyright, licensing and other strategies. We’ll provide practical and proactive advice on exactly how to protect intellectual property in Australia, to safeguard your competitive edge and minimise the risk of copyright infringement and IP misappropriation.

Clear and compliant employment contracts set the foundation for a strong, stable and healthy workplace. At Mahons our team of employment contract lawyers can help with everything from employment contract advice to workplace agreement negotiation. We prepare and review agreements that define roles, responsibilities, entitlements and restraints, and that are tailored to your business needs, goals and situation. From hiring permanent staff or engaging contractors, we’ll ensure your documents are watertight, practical and fully compliant with the Fair Work Act.

Workplace disputes can be disruptive to your business, not to mention rather costly. We help both employers and employees understand their rights and responsibilities under employment law, helping parties navigate an unfair dismissal claim, offering workplace bullying legal advice, and acting as an underpayment claims lawyer. We bring a pragmatic approach that focuses on settling disputes early and fairly, in order to avoid drawn-out litigation. But we’re also more than equipped to represent you in court when that is the most prudent path to take.