Sierra Legal

We’re thrilled to welcome Kate Landells to Sierra Legal as Special Counsel. With extensive experience in corporate and commercial law, including mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, and restructures, Kate brings a wealth of knowledge to our team. Want to get to know Kate better? We asked her 10 quick-fire questions - covering everything from career insights to fun facts. Check out the Q&A here: https://lnkd.in/gjCdHC7K Welcome to the team, Kate!

Sierra Legal’s founder, Craig Sanford, recently joined Sevan Tuna from Alexander Spencer CPA on the podcast, 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲. In this episode, you’ll hear Craig’s insights into preparing a business for sale from a legal perspective, how Sierra Legal operates differently from traditional law firms, and fascinating stories from Craig’s extensive M&A experience. 👉 Listen to the full episode here: ▪️ Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gdwvVQ-E ▪️ Apple Podcast: https://lnkd.in/gjPFujw6 ▪️ Audacy: https://lnkd.in/gcidCgqs

The Sierra Legal team is back and ready to begin the new year. We are resuming regular operations starting today, Monday, 13 January 2025. We look forward to continuing our work with our valued clients, partners, and colleagues in 2025. Stay tuned for an exciting announcement about a new team member joining us in February!

Happy Holidays from Sierra Legal! Our team will be taking a well-earned break from Friday, 20 December 2024, and will return on Monday, 13 January 2025. During this time, we’ll be stepping away from our inboxes to recharge for an exciting year ahead. In the meantime, you can get in touch with us via our online form, and our team will connect with you on their return to the office: https://lnkd.in/ev94KaEn We look forward to working with you in the new year and wish you a safe and enjoyable holiday season.

As we approach the end of 2024, it's the perfect time to reflect on the year we've had at Sierra Legal. Here’s a snapshot of our year: ▪️ Continuing our commitment to our clients: We’ve had the privilege of supporting our valued clients across a wide range of corporate and commercial legal matters. This year, our clients included Bingo Industries, Clark Rubber, Control Bionics, CreativeCubes.Co, Cybe, Edison Partners, Energy Power Systems Australia, Epivets, Homart Pharmaceuticals, Medibank, Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools, National Lotteries and Newsagents Association, Scanspek, Simoco Wireless Solutions, Simonds Homes, TMX Transform, Uniting Church, and many more.    ▪️ M&A highlights: We were proud to play a key role in several successful M&A transactions, including acting for the sellers in the acquisition of Orbitz Elevators in Australia and New Zealand by KONE, acting for the seller in the sale of Axima (a 3PL and international freight forwarding business) to the Natrio group, acting for Homart Pharmaceuticals in the acquisition of the Thompsons vitamin business and the Thursday Plantation skincare business, and acting for the sellers in the sale of RCR International to EHI.    ▪️ Expanding our Sierra Monthly Plans: More businesses joined our fixed-fee plans this year, benefiting from consistent, cost-effective support for their everyday legal needs.    ▪️ Innovating with technology: Using our Arreis Automation platform, we continued to deliver tailored web applications for our clients, helping them streamline their document generation and legal processes, saving both time and resources.    ▪️ Launching our Sierra Legal Training Program: This year, we introduced an internal training initiative where our senior lawyers shared their expertise with the next generation. Fortnightly one-hour sessions covered a range of practical topics, enriching the depth of our team’s knowledge.    ▪️ Establishing the Sierra Social Club: We launched the Sierra Social Club, a monthly gathering for our lawyers across Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane, Far North Queensland, and Adelaide. These informal catch-ups over drinks have strengthened connections across our geographically diverse team.    ▪️ Welcoming new talent: We were excited to expand the Sierra Legal family, welcoming Special Counsel Katie Johnston, who joined us in February, and Luke Pigram, who came on board as a Senior Associate in April. As 2024 draws to a close, we want to extend our sincere thanks to our clients, partners, and team for their trust, collaboration, and support. Here’s to an exciting 2025 ahead - stay tuned for what’s to come! 

Cross-border transactions present unique challenges that require careful consideration beyond regulatory matters like ACCC and FIRB approvals. Key practical issues, such as data security, currency risk, tax implications, and understanding local laws and customs, can significantly impact the success of your deal. At Sierra Legal, we work with our clients to navigate these complexities, ensuring that critical aspects like hosting arrangements, governing law, and foreign legal requirements are addressed upfront. 👉 Read our latest blog for essential insights on how to manage cross-border M&A effectively: https://lnkd.in/guX_AaPp

The Treasury Laws Amendment (Mergers and Acquisitions Reform) Bill 2024, currently proposed, introduces a mandatory, suspensory merger control system to replace the existing voluntary regime. If passed, this Bill will mandate notification and approval from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) for mergers, effective from 1 January 2026, with transitional changes starting 1 July 2025. Key proposed changes include new monetary thresholds, specific exemptions, and a detailed review process. Businesses must stay informed about these potential reforms to ensure compliance and smooth transactions. ➡️ Learn more about the implications and how to prepare for these significant proposed changes: https://lnkd.in/ghdnzcny

Congratulations to one of Sierra Legal’s lawyers, Jocelyn Neumueller, on her incredible achievement of winning the ISA Para World Championships in California!    Jocelyn joined Sierra Legal in 2022 and brings an inspiring background as a Rio 2016 Paralympian and a 6-time world champion across paracanoe and adaptive surfing. We recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jocelyn to hear about her journey, passions, and what motivates her. 🔗 Discover more about Jocelyn's story here: https://lnkd.in/gYvKWs_G

What if a misstep in handling customer communications cost your business millions? The recent Federal Court decision against Qantas, which resulted in a $100 million penalty for breaching the Australian Consumer Law (and an additional $20 million remedial undertaking), serves as a powerful reminder to businesses of the importance of consumer protection and corporate accountability. Discover how transparency, timely communication, and strict compliance with consumer laws can help your business avoid similar pitfalls and safeguard your reputation. 🔗https://lnkd.in/gP_wt7Ra

Looking to sell your business but not sure where to start? We have prepared a useful guide to walk you through the critical steps, from strategy to completion, ensuring you're prepared for a smooth and successful sale. 1️⃣ Develop Your Exit Strategy It’s never too early to plan your exit. Define your goals, decide on the best sale structure and seek tax advice to optimise your position. Identify potential buyers and get a business valuation to set realistic expectations. Understanding the transaction process and assembling a support team (including lawyers, accountants, corporate advisers, etc.) will ensure you’re prepared. 2️⃣ Get Your House in Order Buyers will conduct due diligence on your business, including financial, legal and operational checks. Organise key documents such as financial records, contracts and licences, so you can quickly locate and provide them to a buyer during due diligence. A thorough preliminary audit will help to identify and address any gaps before the buyer conducts its due diligence investigations. This will assist to reduce time and costs during due diligence, while boosting the buyer’s confidence and minimising post-sale risks. 3️⃣ Understand the Transaction Process The sale process typically starts with an in-principle agreement, followed by a non-binding term sheet outlining key terms. In addition to being prepared for the buyer’s due diligence, we recommend that you undertake your own due diligence on the buyer, including to verify their financial capacity to complete the transaction. The next stage involves negotiating the sale agreement, including conditions, warranties, limitations of liability and restraints. Once the sale agreement is executed, the deal moves to completion, which can take several weeks. This involves finalising and signing ancillary documents, paying the balance of the purchase price, and handling post-sale tasks like regulatory filings and purchase price adjustments. 📩 Download your free copy of our guide now to kickstart your business sale!