Commercial Law Services in Sydney

Allenby Legal provides comprehensive commercial law advice to businesses and entrepreneurs across Sydney and NSW. Our practice is distinguished by its dual legal and chartered accountancy qualification — meaning commercial contracts and structures are always reviewed through both a legal and financial lens. This integrated approach routinely identifies risks and opportunities that a purely legal analysis would miss.

Whether you are entering a major commercial contract, acquiring a business, restructuring your corporate group, or resolving a commercial dispute, Allenby Legal delivers precise, commercially astute advice that serves your business objectives.

Commercial Contracts & Agreements

Commercial contracts are the foundation of every business relationship. We draft, review, and negotiate a full range of commercial agreements — from simple supply contracts to complex, multi-party arrangements. Our approach to contract drafting is meticulous: every clause is considered for its commercial, legal, and tax implications before it reaches your counterparty.

• Supply and distribution agreements
• Service and consultancy agreements
• Joint venture agreements
• Shareholders and unitholders agreements
• Confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements (NDAs)
• Licensing and intellectual property agreements
• Partnership and agency agreements

Corporate Structuring & Business Acquisitions

Getting your corporate structure right from the outset — or restructuring as your business grows — has profound legal, operational, and tax consequences. Our dual legal and accounting expertise makes Allenby Legal particularly well-placed to advise on structuring decisions that must balance asset protection, tax efficiency, and governance requirements. We advise on business acquisitions and sales, including due diligence, sale agreements, and post-completion integration.

• Company and trust establishment and restructuring
• Business sale and acquisition (asset and share sales)
• Due diligence reviews
• Corporate governance frameworks
• Director and shareholder disputes

Commercial Dispute Resolution

When commercial relationships break down, you need a legal team that understands the business and financial stakes — not just the legal arguments. We advise on breach of contract claims, shareholder disputes, partnership dissolution, and debt recovery. Our preference is for early, cost-effective resolution — whether through negotiation, mediation, or, where necessary, litigation support.

Why Choose Allenby Legal for Commercial Law?

Sydney has many commercial law firms. What distinguishes Allenby Legal is the depth of our specialist knowledge combined with the accessibility and attention of a boutique practice. Every commercial matter is handled by a senior, dual-qualified professional — not delegated to a junior associate. Our North Strathfield base means we are conveniently located for businesses across the Inner West and Western Sydney, with fees structured to reflect the commercial realities of our market.

Tax Law Services — Sydney Specialist

Allenby Legal is one of Sydney's genuinely specialist tax law practices. Our principal solicitor holds both a legal qualification and a chartered accountancy designation — a combination that is rare in Australian private practice and that materially elevates the quality of tax advice we provide. Tax law without deep accounting knowledge frequently misses the financial substance that matters most to clients.

Our tax practice covers the full spectrum from tax structure advice and entity planning through to personal tax planning, restructuring, and ATO audit and dispute management. We serve high-net-worth individuals, family trusts, self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs), investment funds, and corporate groups.

Tax Structuring & Investment Advice

This is the area of deepest expertise at Allenby Legal — built over 15 years across private practice and institutional roles. We advise on the tax treatment of managed investment schemes, unit trusts, listed investment companies, and private fund structures.

• Investment trust structuring and taxation
• Unit trust and discretionary trust taxation
• SMSF establishment, structuring, and tax compliance
• Capital gains tax (CGT) planning and concessions
• Division 7A and related-party loans
• Carry forward losses and tax consolidation

Tax Structuring & Entity Planning

The right legal structure for your wealth or business — whether a company, trust, partnership, or combination — has profound and lasting tax consequences. We analyse structuring options across both their legal and tax dimensions, providing advice that is integrated rather than siloed. This is particularly valuable for business owners, property investors, and high-net-worth individuals with complex affairs.

• Corporate group structuring and consolidation
• Family trust establishment and taxation
• Property ownership and tax structures
• Business succession and exit tax planning
• Negative gearing and investment property tax advice
• Income splitting and asset protection structures

ATO Disputes & Objections

An ATO audit or amended assessment can be a stressful and financially significant event. Allenby Legal provides authoritative representation in ATO disputes — from responding to risk reviews and audit requests through to formal objections and appeals in the Administrative Review Tribunal. Our deep knowledge of tax law and ATO administrative practices means we engage effectively with the ATO on your behalf.

• ATO audit response and management
• Objections to amended assessments
• Private binding ruling applications
• Voluntary disclosure management
• Tax debt negotiation and payment plans

The Allenby Legal Difference in Tax

Most tax lawyers can read a tax statute. Very few can simultaneously analyse the accounting entries that underpin a transaction and understand why a particular tax outcome flows from them. Our chartered accountancy qualification means we routinely identify issues and opportunities that a purely legal approach misses. For complex tax matters, this difference is material.

Legal Services for Small Business Owners in Sydney

Small businesses are the backbone of the Australian economy, and they deserve access to high-quality legal advice — not just whatever a generalist firm has available. Allenby Legal has built a specific practice focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), providing the kind of commercially informed legal advice that helps businesses make better decisions, manage risk, and grow with confidence.

Our North Strathfield location makes us readily accessible to business owners across Western Sydney, the Inner West, and surrounding suburbs. We offer flexible engagement models including fixed-fee arrangements for predictable, budgetable legal support.

Business Setup & Structuring

The legal structure you choose when starting a business has lasting implications for liability, tax, and the ability to bring in partners or investors down the track. Many small business owners choose the wrong structure initially and pay the price in restructuring costs and tax inefficiency later. We provide clear, practical advice on your options — sole trader, partnership, company, or trust — and ensure the structure you choose matches your commercial objectives and growth plans.

• Company incorporation and business name registration
• Trust establishment (discretionary, unit, hybrid)
• Partnership agreements and joint ventures
• Shareholder and co-founder agreements
• Business succession planning
• Franchise agreements — entry and exit advice

Commercial Leasing for Small Business

Your commercial lease may be the most significant ongoing commitment your business makes. Yet many small business owners sign leases without independent legal review — often on terms weighted heavily in favour of the landlord. Allenby Legal reviews and negotiates commercial leases on behalf of tenants, identifying onerous clauses, seeking improved terms, and ensuring you understand the full extent of your obligations before you sign.

• Commercial and retail lease review and negotiation
• Disclosure statement review (Retail Leases Act)
• Lease assignment on business sale
• Lease renewal and option negotiation
• Rent reduction and dispute resolution
• Make-good obligations advice

Employment & Contractor Agreements

Employment law in Australia is complex and the consequences of getting it wrong — particularly misclassifying contractors or failing to meet Award obligations — can be significant. We draft and review employment contracts, consultant agreements, and restraint of trade clauses, and advise on the legal distinction between employees and contractors in light of recent High Court and legislative changes.

Business Sale & Purchase

Buying or selling a small business is one of the most significant transactions most business owners will undertake. We advise on all aspects of the transaction — from heads of agreement through due diligence, sale contracts, employee transfer obligations, lease assignment, and settlement. Our dual legal and accounting expertise is particularly valuable in assessing the tax implications of sale structures for both buyer and seller.

Day-to-Day Business Legal Support

Small businesses need ongoing legal support — not just for major transactions but for the day-to-day commercial and legal issues that arise in running a business. Allenby Legal is available as an ongoing trusted adviser for commercial contracts, customer and supplier disputes, regulatory compliance, and general business legal questions.

Wills, Estates & Succession Planning in Sydney

Estate planning is about more than writing a will. A comprehensive estate plan ensures that your assets pass to the right people, in the right way, at the right time — with the minimum possible tax cost and the maximum possible certainty. At Allenby Legal, we bring an integrated legal and accounting perspective to estate planning that most firms simply cannot replicate.

We serve individuals, couples, families, and business owners across Sydney — from straightforward wills for young families through to complex multi-generational succession plans involving trusts, superannuation, business interests, and international assets.

Wills & Testamentary Planning

Every adult should have a current, properly executed will. Without one — or with an outdated one — your estate may not pass as you intend, family members may face expensive and emotionally draining disputes, and significant tax and duty costs may apply unnecessarily. We draft wills that are legally robust, clearly expressed, and designed to achieve your specific objectives. We also advise on testamentary trusts — a powerful tool that can protect inheritance from relationship breakdown, protect minor beneficiaries, and deliver significant tax savings.

• Simple and complex will drafting
• Testamentary discretionary trusts
• Superannuation death benefit nominations and strategies
• Blended family estate planning
• Charitable giving and specific bequests
• International assets and cross-border estate issues

Powers of Attorney & Guardianship

Incapacity planning — ensuring that trusted people can manage your affairs and make medical decisions for you if you lose capacity — is as important as planning for death. NSW law provides for Enduring Powers of Attorney, Enduring Guardianship, and Advance Care Directives. We ensure these documents are properly executed and reflect your specific wishes and the particular needs of your family.

• General and Enduring Powers of Attorney (NSW)
• Enduring Guardianship appointments
• Advance Care Directives
• Capacity planning for elderly family members
• Financial management orders (Guardianship Tribunal)

Estate Administration & Probate

When a loved one passes away, the legal and administrative process of distributing their estate can be complex and time-consuming — particularly at an already difficult time. We guide executors through the probate process efficiently and compassionately — from applying for a grant of probate through to the final distribution of estate assets.

• Probate applications (NSW Supreme Court)
• Letters of Administration (intestate estates)
• Estate asset collection and distribution
• Contested estates and family provision claims
• Trust administration and wind-up

Tax-Integrated Estate Planning

Many estate plans are drafted without adequate consideration of the tax consequences — particularly capital gains tax, superannuation death benefits tax, and stamp duty on transfers of assets. Our chartered accountancy qualification means we always consider the tax dimension of estate plans — identifying structures and strategies that can legitimately reduce the tax cost of transferring wealth between generations. This integration of legal and tax advice is one of the most distinctive things Allenby Legal offers in this space.

Property Law Services — Sydney NSW

Property transactions are among the largest financial commitments most people will make. Whether you are buying your first home, investing in residential property, developing commercial land, or structuring a complex property portfolio, Allenby Legal provides the specialist legal support your transaction deserves.

Our property law practice integrates legal expertise with a deep understanding of the financial and tax dimensions of property transactions — including stamp duty, capital gains tax, land tax, and the tax treatment of different property ownership structures. This integrated approach distinguishes us from conveyancers and generalist property lawyers who may miss the financial consequences of the transactions they facilitate.

Residential Conveyancing

We act for buyers and sellers in residential property transactions across Sydney and NSW — from simple established home purchases through to off-the-plan acquisitions and complex title matters. Our conveyancing service is thorough and efficient, delivering the certainty and peace of mind that a transaction of this significance deserves.

• Contract of sale review (buyers)
• Contract preparation (sellers)
• Off-the-plan contract advice
• Title searches and due diligence
• Exchange and settlement management
• First home buyer advice and grant eligibility
• Transfer duty (stamp duty) advice and calculations

Commercial Property

Commercial property transactions involve additional complexity — including GST, development conditions, planning regulations, and lease structures. We act for buyers, sellers, and developers in commercial property transactions, applying our integrated legal and financial expertise to protect your position and maximise the commercial outcome of each transaction.

• Commercial property purchase and sale
• GST and commercial property transactions
• Development site acquisitions
• Subdivision and strata title matters
• Section 88 agreements and easements
• Commercial lease preparation and review
• Property development agreements (DA, JVs)

Property Investment Structures & Tax

The structure through which you own investment property — individually, jointly, via a company, trust, or SMSF — has significant ongoing tax consequences, including land tax, capital gains tax on eventual sale, and income tax on rental income. Allenby Legal advises on property investment structures that optimise tax outcomes, provide appropriate asset protection, and are designed for your long-term investment strategy.

• Property investment trust structures
• SMSF property acquisition advice
• Land tax planning and advice
• Capital gains tax (CGT) property advice
• Stamp duty exemptions and concessions (NSW)
• Transfers between family members — duty implications

Property Disputes

Property disputes — boundary disputes, easement issues, vendor misrepresentation, and neighbour disputes — can be stressful and financially significant. We advise on options for resolution and represent clients in negotiations and, where necessary, proceedings.