Commercial

Purchasing a Small Business

When purchasing a small business, that is a maximum price of $450,000.00, a section 52 Statement must be provided by the Vendor. The section 52... Read More

New Residential Tenancies Regulations 2021

The residential tenancy landscape in Victoria is changing rapidly, and it’s not just because of COVID. The much awaited Residential... Read More

Land transfer (stamp) duty waiver for residential property transactions of up to $1 million for Victorians

The State Government of Victoria has recently announced a land transfer (stamp) duty waiver for the purchase of residential properties in Victoria... Read More

Negotiating rent relief during the COVID-19 pandemic

On 29 September 2020, the COVID-19 Omnibus (Emergency Measures) (Commercial Leases and Licences) Regulations 2020 were amended and as a result... Read More

First Home Loan Deposit Scheme (FHLDS)

From 1 January 2020, the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation (NHFIC) will be in partnership with lenders to administer a new... Read More

Unfair Contract Terms – Protecting the Little Guy

Small business owners will need to consider the enforceability of their business to business standard term contracts following the recent... Read More

Shareholder Agreements in a Family Business Context

A Shareholder Agreement is a document which governs the conduct, rights and responsibilities of shareholders and directors of a company. ... Read More

Business Transition – A Holistic Approach

Everyone has heard the term ‘business succession’ for a while now but what does it really mean? On a practical level, succession... Read More

Franchising Code Reforms

Reforms to the Franchising Code of Conduct (“the Code”) are imminent. The Government released the Exposure Drafts of legislation... Read More

Terms of trade – is your business protected?

Failure to regularly review your terms of trade can  adversely effect your bottom line if Central Cleaning Supplies (Aust) Pty Ltd... Read More

The Dangers of Trading Online – Is Your Brand Protected?

In this digital age many brands have identified the online marketplace as the key growth area for time conscious consumers. Online companies such... Read More

A new era of privacy law in Australia

On 29 November 2012, the Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protection) Bill 2012 passed both houses of parliament, paving the way for a set... Read More

The PPSA in Action

Case law is continuing to emerge following the commencement of the Personal Properties Securities Act 2009 (Cth) (“the PPSA”) in... Read More

Protecting Digital Assets after your Death

Have you thought about what will happen to your assets stored on the Internet or in the Cloud in the event of your death? These assets can... Read More

Time to Take PPSA Action

Although the Personal Property Securities Act (PPSA) has been in effect for over a year, many businesses, whilst aware of the existence of the new... Read More

Why should I register my Trade Mark

A trade mark is a “sign” used in business to distinguish your services or products from others in the marketplace.  It can be a... Read More

Landlords Update

Landlords should be aware that they may be required to provide a disclosure statement when varying an existing lease.  Landlords have an... Read More

Where there's a Will...........

A Will is a legal document which allows you to specify what will happen to your assets after your death.  So, what happens if you die... Read More

Who owns your Intellectual Property?

Intellectual property is the cornerstone of every business. It helps develop and maintain your brand, identity, reputation and most importantly... Read More

Warranties Against Defects Required Repair by 1 January 2012

From 1 January 2012, new requirements under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) (‘Act’) apply to all retailers and... Read More

Shareholder Agreements – why you should have one

Going into business with another person is like a marriage.  There will be ups and downs, and if there is a divorce, it could get expensive.... Read More

Managing the Transition to the PPSA

As you are aware, the Personal Property Securities Act (PPSA) came into effect on 30 January 2012.  The PPSA establishes a new national PPS... Read More

Escrow Agreements for Software As a Service – are they worth the paper they are written on?

Software escrow involves the deposit by a software vendor of the source code for their software with a third party escrow agent.  The escrow... Read More

Domain name escrow services

Consider this chicken and egg scenario.  You have a domain name you want to buy.  You have agreed a purchase price with the... Read More

IP and the Fashion Industry

Within the fashion industry, the originality of a design is invaluable to a designers reputation and growth within the market, giving a designer... Read More

Franchise Code of Conduct Regulations

AMENDING REGULATIONS TO THE FRANCHISING CODE OF CONDUCT COME INTO EFFECT ON 1 JULY 2010 Changes to the Franchising Code of Conduct... Read More

Franchising

Franchising is the largest growth area for small business. Meerkin & Apel is well equipped to provide comprehensive advice on franchising and... Read More

"Lets make a deal"

The Do’s and Don’ts of Commercial Contracts. Can a US baseball player successfully finalise his playing contract on the back of a... Read More

New Australian Design Laws

The registration of a design is governed by the Designs Act 2003(Cth),(“the Act”) which came into effect on 17 June 2003. What... Read More

Retail Leases Act

The Retail Leases Act came into operation on 1 May 2003. Both Landlords and Tenants you have certain rights and obligations under the Act... Read More

Bankruptcy Developments

On 27 July 2006 the Attorney General announced that the Bankruptcy Act 1966 will be amended to allow Trustees in Bankruptcy to recover... Read More