MELBOURNE: Association of Corporate Counsel (VIC) and Piper Alderman | The Star Entertainment decision – Lessons for in‑house counsel

Alastair is an experienced Corporate and Commercial lawyer specialising in corporate governance and commercial contracting.  He has a broad-based corporate and commercial practice that extends across several sectors, including health and financial services.  Alastair has advised private, government, not-for-profit and mutual entities on a wide range of corporate and commercial matters, including governance and structuring issues, directors’ and officers’ duties, ESG, general Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) advice and commercial contracting, including joint ventures and collaborations, private health insurer contracting with hospitals and other service providers, public funding and commissioning/sub-funding arrangements and not-for-profit mergers and transitioning.

Alastair has specialist knowledge of corporate governance issues and has extensive experience in drafting, amending and replacing constituent documents, including constitutions, shareholders’ agreements and members’ agreements.  He regularly provides governance training to private, public and not-for-profit sector entities and advises on officer protection and board representation arrangements.

Alastair has assisted numerous companies limited by guarantee with start-up, governance, structuring, funding, commissioning/contracting and winding up issues, both in the not-for-profit context and where the entity is owned or controlled by government.  This includes advising on not-for-profit mergers and similar transitioning or exit arrangements.  He also assists in designing and implementing ‘back-to-back’ contracting arrangements for government-funded entities.

Since 2010, Alastair has assisted various participants in the Australian primary health care sector (including Primary Health Networks, and the predecessor Medicare Locals and Divisions of General Practice) in connection with commissioning and other commercial arrangements, governance and structuring and various federal and state reforms.

Alastair is a regular presenter of seminars and workshops on directors’ and officers’ duties, governance and structuring issues and ESG.

Alastair has a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Melbourne, and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (Order of Merit).

Naomi Feast is the Chief Risk Officer of MIPS. Prior to joining MIPS, Naomi worked in the insurance and energy industries in varied executive and senior roles in risk management, and across policy, regulatory and consumer protection experience in state and federal government. Naomi holds a Bachelor of Laws and Master of Business Administration and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Sean Hughes most recently served as General Counsel at Vanguard Australia, and previously at Tabcorp, with significant experience across law, governance, regulation, financial services, wealth management, and risk. Prior to his time at Vanguard, Sean was a Commissioner at the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). He is known for ethical leadership and building trust, helping organisations navigate complex compliance obligations and deliver sustainable outcomes.

James has over 25 years experience in corporate and commercial law with an emphasis on a wide range of corporate structuring, acquisitions, disposals, capital raisings, listings, venture capital transactions, corporate governance advice, shareholder disputes, commercialisation of intellectual property, employee share plans and commercial contracts.

James has advised listed and unlisted companies and private equity funds in a wide range of transactions in both Australia and Europe.