ON DEMAND: ‘Beat the Clock’ 2024 – Professional skills | Mastering the art of contract negotiation: Key strategies and insights on unfair contract terms, liability and indemnity clauses

An experienced corporate lawyer, Lis advises listed and private companies, multinationals, and not-for-profit organisations on their structure, governance, operations and strategy.  Her clients appreciate her commitment to building long term relationships and understanding their culture and strategy so as to deliver timely, thoughtful and practical advice.

At a strategic level, Lis collaborates with boards and senior executives on significant transactions — such as capital raisings, restructuring, strategic collaborations and mergers and acquisitions (public and private).  Lis’s deep experience and practical insights are particularly appreciated by growing clients who seek her guidance on how to plan and execute these important projects.

Lis also helps organisations review their governance framework so that it is “fit for purpose”, and provides emotionally intelligent advice on engaging with key stakeholders around complex member approvals, or dealing with conflicts of interest.  In this, Lis brings additional perspectives as a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.  For listed companies, Lis gives practical direction on meeting continuous disclosure obligations.

At an operational level, Lis guides clients in how to integrate business ethics and legal compliance into “business as usual”, training boards and managers on fulfilling their key legal obligations, such as privacy and directors’ & officers’ duties.  Lis also designs contract review frameworks in line with the organisation’s risk appetite as well as drafting and negotiating complex contracts.

Lis’s strong focus on Life Sciences and Healthcare is reflected in her appointment as deputy chair of AusBiotech’s AusMedtech Advisory Group, and as a member of AusBiotech’s State Committee for NSW.   Lis has also actively participated in AusBiotech industry projects including AusBiotech’s Guide for Directors of Life Sciences Companies, AusBiotech’s Guide for Investors in Life Sciences Companies and pitching workshops for Life Sciences CEOs.  She enjoys being a “connector” between people in her network, to strengthen the Australian life sciences ecosystem.

Tim is a specialist construction lawyer with more than 20 years’ experience. His practice includes front end drafting and advisory and disputes work.

Tim’s front end work includes drafting, reviewing and negotiating contracts for mechanical works such as supply contracts and long term maintenance contracts for rolling stock, supply and install contracts for blast furnaces, EPC Contracts for wind and gas fired power plants, design and construct contracts for civil works such as roads, airport runways and taxi lanes and design and construct contracts for high rise residential and hotel developments.

Over a long period of time Tim has acted for both Contractors and Principals in a range of disputes. Tim has been involved in litigating and mediating these claims in the Supreme Courts of NSW and Queensland, in the Federal Court and by arbitration and mediation.

Karyn is an experienced construction and infrastructure professional, having specialised exclusively in construction and infrastructure law since 1995.

She provides whole of project support and advice to companies developing, designing and delivering construction and infrastructure projects and is particularly experienced in claim assessment and dispute resolution.

Karyn has resolved numerous complex construction and engineering disputes using her recognised expertise in adjudication, mediation, arbitration and expert appraisal.

Karyn regularly advises on construction and infrastructure project delivery options for both public and private sector projects, construction and infrastructure contract risks, construction and infrastructure contract management and construction and infrastructure contract administration.

Since the 2013 edition, Karyn has been recognised by the Best Lawyers™ in Australia in the area of Construction/Infrastructure Law.

Andrew Rankin is an experienced corporate and commercial lawyer with a career spanning more than 25 years. Based in Brisbane, he has an exceptional reputation for his expertise in competition and consumer law, and his practice also includes mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance law. Andrew advises both private companies and publicly listed companies and has particularly strong experience in acting for clients in the financial services, health and life sciences, mining and agribusiness sectors.

Over many years Andrew has provided competition and consumer law advice and training to many private sector and government clients, advising them on their obligations under the legislation and how they should interact with their competitors, suppliers and customers. He advises on restrictive trade practices drawing from his extensive knowledge of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (CCA) and Australian Consumer Law. He has built a productive working relationship with the ACCC, successfully representing many clients in dealings and applications to the ACCC in relation to anti-competitive behaviour. Andrew is a respected member of the Law Council of Australia’s Competition and Consumer Law committee, and his expertise in this area has been consistently recognised in the Best Lawyers Australia each year since 2012. He was also named ‘Brisbane Lawyer of the Year’ for Competition Law in the 2022 edition.

Andrew also has extensive experience in working with national and international clients on mergers and acquisitions, due diligences, capital raisings and business ventures. His expertise includes take-overs, schemes of arrangement, cross-border acquisitions, corporate restructurings and company divestments. He advises boards on directors’ duties and corporate governance issues. His commercial practice includes advising on commercial agreements, joint venture and shareholder agreements, supply contracts and the unfair contract terms regime. Best Lawyers Australia and the Doyle’s Guide have recognised Andrew in these areas of law, reflecting this additional depth of expertise.

Highly respected by his clients, they appreciate Andrew’s knowledge and expertise, coupled with his commercial acumen, clear communication skills, attention to detail and professionalism.