ON-DEMAND: ‘Clause & Effect’ Contract Law Series | Negotiating Government contracts – Understanding the Government procurement process

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.

Maria is a leading commercial lawyer with expertise in the Australian transport industry.

Maria regularly advises government, transport operators, manufacturers and suppliers within the transport and logistics industry in relation to major Government contracts, procurement processes, supply agreements, due diligence and OHS issues. She has extensive experience in drafting and advising on Government passenger service contracts throughout Australia and is considered an expert on Government contracts in the transport industry.

Recently, Maria has advised her clients on the introduction of zero emission vehicles into their operations and zero emission charging infrastructure into transport depots. Her work includes reviewing variations to existing passenger service contracts, drafting supply agreements, drafting agreements with energy providers and negotiating purchase or lease agreements with OEMs for the zero emission vehicles. She has a keen interest in this area and is keeping a close eye on this innovation which is rapidly changing the transport industry.

She also has significant experience in negotiating and advising on complex M&A transactions by way of asset and/or share sale throughout Australia. She is particularly sought out for her industry knowledge which is an advantage for her clients while doing due diligence and obtaining consent for the transaction from Government and other third parties.

In her role in advising operators and suppliers, Maria has been engaged to provide advice on a variety of property issues in relation to transport depots and relevant infrastructure.

Maria is highly regarded for her legal skills as well as her understanding of the commercial realities that her clients face.