Corporate & Commercial Law

The principal of Seftcorp Law, Grant Sefton, has provided quality, professional and pragmatic corporate and commercial legal services to a wide range of businesses and institutions for over 30 years.

The range of clients includes individuals and small start-ups through to larger listed entities, multinational corporations and government institutions in Newcastle, the Hunter Valley and throughout Australia.

Seftcorp Law has been an active member of IR Global for over nine years. IR Global is one of the fastest growing professional service firm networks in the world. Members of IR Global provide legal, accountancy and financial advice to companies and individuals across 150 jurisdictions. This membership provides opportunity for clients to access quality professional services wherever they conduct business throughout the world. Seftcorp Law was until 2021 the exclusive Australian ‘Commercial Law’ member for IR Global and is now its first alumni member. For further information, see IR Global.

Service Areas

Our corporate and commercial services and capabilities include:

  • Business Structures – review of, advising on, amending and implementing business structures including establishment and demobilising of companies, joint ventures, partnerships and trusts

  • Business succession and estate planning – advising corporate groups on business succession and high net worth individuals/ families on estate planning

  • Capital raisings – structuring transactions and drafting documents for capital raisings

  • Competition and consumer law – advising on restrictive trade practices and consumer law issues

  • Contracts – negotiating, drafting and reviewing commercial contracts that are focused towards the circumstances and are in plain-English

  • Corporate governance – all aspects of corporate governance including advice on regulatory requirements, drafting and review of constitutions, charters and rules, company secretarial services and director and shareholder issues

  • Corporations law – advising on corporate law issues

  • Dispute resolution – advising on and resolving commercial disputes, including customer/supplier disputes and shareholder or partnership disputes and the mediation of disputes

  • Employee/Executive Share Plans – advice on and drafting and reviewing employee or executive share plans

  • General commercial and business law – advising businesses and institutions on the wide range of general commercial and business legal issues that may arise from time to time

  • Joint Ventures – structuring, drafting, review and terminating joint venture arrangements

  • Manufactured products contracts – drafting and reviewing complex and major contracts for manufactured products

  • Personal Property Securities Reform – advising on and registering security interests under the PPSR

  • Restructuring and insolvency advice – review, advising on and implementing restructures and advising insolvent or distressed businesses

  • Risk Management – advice regarding regulatory compliance, risk management and asset protection, including conducting legal audits and probity training

  • Shareholder Agreements – negotiating, drafting, review and terminating shareholder agreements

  • Supply, distribution and service arrangements – negotiating, drafting, review and terminating supply, distribution and service agreements

  • Trusts – drafting, implementing, review and vesting of discretionary and unit trusts including the negotiation, drafting, review and termination of unitholder agreements

Samples of Work

Major past work in corporate and commercial legal services includes:

  • Assisting Port Waratah Coal Services since 1997 on a wide range of corporate and commercial law issues including drafting complex commercial contracts connected with the Long Term Commercial Framework for the Hunter Coal Chain, dispute resolution and competition & consumer issues

  • Drafting of wide range of international distribution and licensing agreements for Jurox, a multinational veterinary science products developer, manufacturer and seller

  • Assisting AUB Group since 1998 on all legal aspects of acquiring or divesting insurance portfolios throughout Australia including advice on structures and corporate governance and drafting and negotiation of transaction documents

  • Acting for multinational cosmetic company on legal aspects connected with setting up its business including corporate structuring and drafting of multinational manufacturing agreement, talent agreement and online terms and conditions.

  • Acting for Campervan & Motorhome Club of Australia on a wide range of corporate and commercial issues

  • Negotiation and drafting of a wide range of documents for the commercial arm of a University, including collaboration, joint venture, license and service agreements

  • Drafting and negotiation on behalf of a University of a Project Funding Agreement

  • Drafting pro forma service contract for Hunter Water

  • Assisting Newcastle Port Consortium on the corporate governance aspects of its bid to secure an interest in the privatisation of Newcastle Ports

  • Drafting opinions for the participation of Nimbus Clean Energy in two South African wind farms

  • Amending constitution for Hunter Research Foundation

  • Drafting and reviewing major contracts for the design, manufacture and maintenance of railway rolling stock for United Group Rail, with some contracts valued in excess of $500 million

  • Advising a subsidiary of a University on its exit of a joint venture

  • Drafting deed of termination for Country Rail Infrastructure Authority.

  • Drafting of joint venture agreements and service agreements for an on-line training organisation

  • Drafting of license and services agreement for the provision of a risk management system