Expertise

Business & commercial lawyers in Richmond & Melbourne.

Structuring, contracts, leasing, shareholder agreements and business sales, commercial legal work that keeps up with your business. CMK Legal acts for owners and operators across Richmond, Melbourne and Victoria.

Owner-operator focus

Practical advice for SMEs, not enterprise-scale process.

Fixed fees on defined work

Structures, contracts and leases quoted before we start.

Commercial turnaround

Deals move quickly. We work to your timeline, not ours.

Risk explained plainly

You get the trade-offs, then you make the call.

Our business services.

Business set-up & structuring

Company, trust and partnership structures set up correctly while it is still cheap to change.

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Buying & selling a business

Due diligence, sale agreements, restraints and completion for buyers and sellers.

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Commercial contracts

Supply, services, distribution and terms of trade drafted to hold up when things go wrong.

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Shareholder & partnership agreements

Decide how decisions, exits and disputes are handled while everyone still gets along.

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Commercial leasing

Retail and commercial leases reviewed, negotiated and drafted for landlords and tenants.

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Commercial disputes

Contract disputes and debt recovery handled commercially when a deal goes sideways.

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Franchise sale & purchase

Disclosure documents and franchise agreements reviewed, transfers and lease assignments run.

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Joint venture agreements

Contributions, control, profit share, IP and exit agreed in writing before the project starts.

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Supply agreements

Supply, distribution and manufacturing terms protecting price, payment, title and liability.

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Terms & conditions

Trading terms, website terms and privacy policies drafted to comply and to be enforceable.

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Director & shareholder disputes

Oppression, deadlock and exit disputes between the people who own the company.

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Partnership agreements

Profit share, authority, retirement and buy-out agreed before the Partnership Act decides for you.

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Banking & finance

Facility agreements, securities and settlements reviewed for borrowers and private lenders.

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Solicitor's certificates

Certificates of independent legal advice for guarantors and borrowers, usually within days.

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Loan agreements

Private, family and related-party loans documented, secured and registered properly.

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Guarantees & securities

Personal guarantees, mortgages, GSAs and PPSR registrations explained, negotiated and enforced.

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Employment law

Advice for employers on awards, performance, restructures, terminations and Fair Work claims.

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Employment contracts

Compliant contracts for full-time, part-time, casual, fixed-term and executive staff.

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Independent contractor agreements

Contractor arrangements documented to withstand sham contracting and superannuation review.

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Workplace policies

Policy suites meeting positive duty and psychosocial hazard obligations, written to be used.

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Restraint & confidentiality agreements

Non-compete, non-solicitation and NDA drafting and enforcement that stands up in court.

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Trade marks

Clearance searches, applications, oppositions and enforcement of your brand with IP Australia.

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Intellectual property

Copyright, designs, trade secrets, IP assignments and licensing across your business.

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How we help.

Get the structure right

The entity you trade through affects tax, asset protection and how easily you can sell later. We set it up properly from day one.

Paper the deal

Contracts, terms of trade and shareholder agreements drafted so the commercial deal you agreed is the one that is enforceable.

Negotiate the transaction

Business sales, leases and supply arrangements negotiated with the other side's lawyers so you keep momentum.

Deal with the problems

Unpaid invoices, breaches, lease disputes and partner fallouts, resolved commercially wherever possible.

Defined pieces of work, a structure, a contract, a lease review, are quoted as a fixed fee before we begin.

How we work with your business.

  1. 01

    Scoping call

    We understand the business, the deal and the commercial outcome you need.

  2. 02

    Fixed-fee proposal

    A written scope and price so there is no uncertainty about cost.

  3. 03

    Advice & drafting

    Structures established or documents drafted, with the key risks explained in plain English.

  4. 04

    Negotiation

    We deal with the other side's lawyers and keep you informed on what actually matters.

  5. 05

    Completion

    Signing, registrations and any regulatory steps handled and confirmed.

  6. 06

    Ongoing support

    We stay available as the business grows, hires, leases and eventually sells.

Transparent commercial fees.

Most business work, structures, contracts, lease reviews and shareholder agreements, is quoted as a fixed fee in writing. Larger transactions are scoped in stages so you always know the next step's cost.

Request a fixed-fee quote

FAQs

Business & commercial FAQs.

Still unsure? Call us on (03) 9008 7224 and speak to a lawyer, not a call centre.

Should I trade through a company or a trust?
It depends on tax, asset protection, who shares in the profits and whether you intend to sell. A company suits most trading businesses; a discretionary trust can be better where income is distributed among family members. We advise alongside your accountant.
Do I really need a shareholder agreement?
If there is more than one owner, yes. Without one, the Corporations Act defaults apply and there is nothing agreed about deadlocks, exits, valuation or what happens if an owner dies or wants out. It is far cheaper to agree now than to litigate later.
Can you review a commercial lease before I sign?
Yes, for a fixed fee. We look at term and options, rent reviews, outgoings, make-good, personal guarantees and whether the Retail Leases Act applies, then negotiate the terms that matter.
What is involved in buying a business?
Due diligence on the financials, contracts, employees, lease and licences; a sale agreement with proper warranties and restraints; and completion including transfer of the lease and any permits. We run all of it.
How quickly can you turn around a contract?
Straightforward reviews are usually back within two to three business days, and we will tell you up front if a deadline is tight.
Do you act for landlords as well as tenants?
Yes. We prepare and negotiate leases from both sides, including retail leases governed by the Retail Leases Act 2003 (Vic).
Can you help with unpaid invoices?
Yes. We issue letters of demand and, where necessary, run recovery proceedings, usually a far faster and cheaper path than clients expect.
Do you work with our accountant?
Regularly. Structuring, business sales and succession work best when the legal and tax advice are aligned, and we are happy to work directly with your accountant.

Talk to a Richmond commercial lawyer.

Book a consultation to talk through your structure, your contract or your next transaction, with a fixed fee quoted before we start.