Identify sticking points in negotiations and key factors to monitor while gaining strategies to mitigate and avoid risk and ensure compliance in business sales. Cover-off everything from due diligence and valuation issues, CGT and IP liabilities, to the new risks in business sale transactions including cyber security and ESG compliance. Navigate the practical strategies that assist the legal process including employee share schemes, the deal-breaking points plus more.

Presenters

Mayank Gupta, Partner, Cornwalls
Mayank brings a wealth of expertise, with over 20 years’ of international experience in corporate finance, distressed lending, restructuring, leveraged finance, asset finance, real estate finance and project finance. He has acted for large financial institutions and corporates spanning jurisdictions including Australia, United Kingdom, United States, South and South East Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe. Over the last few years, Mayank has worked closely with alternative capital investors, providing strategic advice to debt funds providing financing in distressed situations, purchasers of non-performing loans and funds providing equity capital in large scale project financings. Mayank has spent significant time in the UK and Asia working on some of the largest transactions in the world, including the largest bond issuance in Bangladesh and the largest non-performing loan acquisition in Eastern Europe at the time. He has also had experience being inhouse counsel at a large investment bank in London and as General Counsel for one of Australia’s premier asset finance companies.


Alison Choy Flannigan, Partner, Hall & Wilcox
With over 25 years of corporate, commercial and regulatory experience, Alison has specialised in advising clients in the health, aged care, retirement living, disability, life sciences and community sectors. Alison co-leads the Health & Care Practice at National Law firm, Hall & Wilcox. Alison has been listed in The Best Lawyers in Australia (and the Australian Financial Review) since 2008 for Health & Aged Care and also Retirement Living and Biotechnology. She has been recognised in the Doyle's Guide to the Australian Legal Profession as a Leading Health and Aged Care Lawyer each and every year since 2017 and Chambers for Life sciences. Alison has been a finalist for the Lawyers Weekly Partner of the Year in Health every year since 2016 and won this prestigious award in 2019, 2020 and 2021. She was a finalist in the Lawyers Weekly, Women in Law Awards, Partner of the Year - Big Law, 2019 and 2021.


Neil Brydges, Principal Lawyer, Sladen Legal
Neil is a Principal Lawyer in the business law area, with a particular focus on taxation advice and disputes. Taxation law is a complex area. Neil’s aim is to provide technical expertise to clients, commercially applied and in a friendly and approachable manner. Neil’s practice involves advice, audits, disputes, and transactions. The client mix includes both family groups and business enterprises. Neil also regularly assists professional advisors, including tax agents, accountants and financial advisors, to understand complex legal issues and help them to better assist their own clients. Neil is a Chartered Tax Advisor with The Tax Institute and accredited as a specialist in taxation law with the Law Institute of Victoria. Since 2019 Neil has been named one of Australia’s “Best Lawyers” in the practice of tax law by “Best Lawyers”. Neil has also been recognised in Doyles Guide as a tax lawyer since 2021.


Amanda Comelli, Partner, Brown Wright Stein
Amanda is a Law Society of NSW Accredited Specialist in Business Law and currently sits on the Law Society's Specialist Accreditation Advisory Committee for Business Law. With more than 10 years' experience as a business lawyer, Amanda provides commercial and corporate law, tax law and estate planning advice to businesses and business owners. Amanda likes to keep her practice broad, to provide her clients with well-rounded and practical legal advice. Amanda has acted for a range of clients including both private and public companies, accountants, financial planners, retailers, business owners, manufacturers, individuals (including high net worth individuals) and not-for-profit organisations. She is also a founder of the Women in Tax Discussion Group, which is hosted monthly by Brown Wright Stein, as a forum for female tax professionals to meet and discuss recent key changes in tax law in a relaxed and supportive environment. Outside of work, Amanda enjoys travel, fitness, and spending time with her family. She has also represented Australia in several international karate tournaments!


James Morgan, Special Counsel, Mahoneys
James Morgan was admitted as a solicitor in March 2004 and has practised in Commercial Litigation and dispute resolution since December 2004. James has extensive knowledge of construction law, civil procedure in state Courts and Tribunals, insolvency law, and administrative law. James acts for body corporates, builders and building owners, trade suppliers, subcontractors, local governments, directors, franchisees, lenders, borrowers, private schools, liquidators, and bankruptcy trustees. James has been an Accredited Specialist in Commercial Litigation since 21 November 2016.


Temple Saville, Barrister, Nationally Accredited Mediator, The Victorian Bar
Temple is a commercial barrister and nationally accredited mediator. She accepts briefs to advise, appear and mediate. Temple’s experience includes: Acting for parties in various bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings including public examinations, insolvent trading claims, preference payment claims, winding up hearings and creditors petitions. This area of Temple’s practice also includes acting in matters where there are claims for breach of directors’ duties. Temple also has a general commercial practice including domestic building disputes, JV disputes, retail lease disputes, property disputes, loan disputes, debt recovery and ACL disputes. Temple was a finalist in the Lawyers Weekly, Australian Law Awards and/or Women in Law Awards, Barrister of the Year category in 2021, 2023 and 2024.


Fiona Hansen, Senior Managing Director and Head of Valuations Advisory, FTI Consulting
Fiona is a Senior Managing Director and leads FTI Consulting’s Valuation Advisory practice in Australia. She has over 28 years' experience in corporate finance and business valuations having held senior roles in the Big 4 accounting firms working in Australia, Europe and South Africa. Fiona specialises in valuations of businesses, intangible assets, equity and debt instruments, executive options, impairment testing and independent experts reports. She has prepared numerous valuation reports for a range of purposes, including mergers and acquisitions, accounting, taxation, stamp duty, Corporations Act and ASX requirements. Fiona’s valuation reports comply with the relevant standards or professional requirements. They are succinct, easy to read and give clients confidence in the final outcome. Fiona has also undertaken numerous corporate finance assignments involving mergers and acquisitions, divestments and financial due diligence.


Dalvin Chien, Partner, Mills Oakley
Dalvin is a leading technology and digital lawyer with over 20 years’ experience. Dalvin has deep expertise in technology contracting, privacy, cybersecurity, security of critical infrastructure, data sharing, e-commerce and emerging technology including Artificial Intelligence. He has led deal teams for significant technology transactions and advised on novel and complex cybersecurity and technology issues for clients in the banking, government, technology, logistics and health sectors.


Judith Miller, Principal & National Practice Group Leader – Commercial, Wrays
Judith Miller specialises in commercial and intellectual property law. She has more than 25 years' experience in advising on all aspects of the management and commercialisation of IP and is the firm's Commercial National Practice Leader. Judith has worked with a range of clients across a variety of industries (with a particular focus on the research and development sector), predominantly for IP and content owners, frequently advising those clients on the management, exploitation and protection of their rights in old and new media. She advises clients on the full range of commercial transactions. These include joint ventures, strategic alliances, collaboration and partnering arrangements, supply chain and logistics agreements, reward schemes and acquisition and supply terms. She also advises local and international businesses on the establishment of regional and national franchise systems, and provides strategic advice to established operations. Judith has also worked on a broad range of technology and sourcing matters, including procurement, development agreements, hosting and outsourcing arrangements, software maintenance and hardware supply and support agreements.


Malcolm Liu, Senior Associate, Mills Oakley 
Malcolm is a Senior Associate in Mills Oakley’s Information and Communications Technology & Digital Law team and specialises in advising on technology transaction deals and privacy and cyber security compliance. He services clients in a wide set of industries including media and entertainment, healthcare and medical, IT and data security technology and financial services and banking. Malcolm also holds a degree in Civil Engineering and, prior to commencing his career in the law, had a background in project management. This enables Malcolm to bring a unique view when advising his clients that simultaneously considers for the legal, practical and commercial aspects of each matter. This means his clients enjoy advice that is holistic and tailored. Malcolm has previously worked at the world’s largest international law firm and has experience in assisting with international deals and tailoring his advice to account for international intricacies.


Kseniia Gasiuk, Associate, Sladen Legal
As an Associate in Sladen Legal’s Business Law Team, Kseniia focuses on tax-related matters, assisting clients in achieving their business and taxation objectives through strategic, timely, and innovative solutions. Holding a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Queensland and a Juris Doctor from Bond University, she is currently pursuing a Master of Laws at the University of Melbourne, specialising in tax law. Kseniia is a Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) and member of The Tax Institute. Her expertise extends across direct and indirect tax, including the taxation of trusts, corporate tax, M&A, international tax, and Division 7A. Before joining Sladen Legal, she gained valuable experience in Queensland as a commercial and property lawyer, advising on business sales and acquisitions, commercial property contracts, covenants, easements, franchising, leasing, retirement villages, and strata title developments. Her background enables practical and client-focused legal advice in complex tax matters.