Commercial Lawyers Brisbane
Summary
Astris Law provides Australian corporate and commercial legal services under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), including company incorporation, shareholder agreements, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, due diligence and commercial contract drafting. The firm advises businesses on ASIC compliance, FIRB approvals and complex corporate restructuring.
Overview
Corporate and commercial law forms the foundation of business operations. From company incorporation to complex restructuring, Astris Law can provide strategic advice that aligns legal frameworks with commercial objectives. We can help businesses navigate Corporations Act requirements, corporate governance, shareholder arrangements and commercial transactions with precision and foresight.
How We Help
Astris Law advises Brisbane directors and business owners on the full range of corporate and commercial matters. From incorporating a new company to negotiating a shareholder agreement for a joint venture or working through due diligence on an acquisition, we provide clear, strategic advice that keeps your commercial objectives at the centre of every decision.
Our corporate practice covers company formation and structuring under the Corporations Act 2001, shareholder and unitholders agreements, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and director duties and commercial contract drafting and negotiation. We also advise on joint ventures, franchise arrangements, business succession planning and exit strategies. For Brisbane businesses dealing with cross-border transactions or foreign investment, we navigate FIRB approval requirements and ASIC regulatory processes.
Every business transaction carries legal risk. A poorly drafted shareholder agreement can lead to deadlock. An acquisition without proper due diligence can saddle you with undisclosed liabilities. A commercial contract with ambiguous terms invites disputes. Astris Law ensures your corporate documents are precise, enforceable and aligned with how your business actually operates.
What does a commercial lawyer do?
A commercial lawyer advises businesses on the legal side of running and growing a company. That covers company structures, shareholder agreements, contracts, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory compliance and disputes. The work spans both the deals you do and the problems you want to avoid or resolve. A good commercial lawyer keeps your commercial goal at the centre and tells you where the legal risk actually sits.
When do you need a commercial lawyer in Brisbane?
You want one before you sign, not after it goes wrong. The common triggers are setting up or restructuring a company, taking on a business partner, buying or selling a business, signing a major contract, raising capital, or facing a shareholder dispute or a regulator. Bringing a commercial lawyer in early is almost always cheaper than fixing the problem later.
How much does a commercial lawyer in Brisbane cost?
Fees depend on the matter. Most commercial work is charged either at an hourly rate or as a fixed fee for a defined piece of work, such as a company set-up, a contract review or a shareholder agreement. At Astris Law you get a clear fee estimate before any work starts, and for ongoing advice we can agree a fixed monthly or retainer arrangement. Our pricing page sets out the approach.
Common Situations
- You are setting up a new company with business partners and need a shareholder agreement that addresses funding, decision-making, exits and deadlock
- Your business is acquiring or merging with another company and you need due diligence, transaction documents and ASIC or FIRB approvals
- A shareholder dispute has arisen and you need advice on oppression remedies, buy-out mechanisms or winding up
- You need commercial contracts drafted or reviewed for a major supplier, customer or joint venture relationship
- Your board needs advice on director duties, corporate governance or potential insolvent trading exposure
- You are planning a business exit, succession or restructure and need a strategy that manages tax, regulatory and commercial risks
Why Astris Law
As a boutique Brisbane firm, Astris Law gives you direct access to the principal lawyer handling your matter; there is no delegation to junior solicitors or paralegals. For transactional work where responsiveness and commercial judgment matter, that direct relationship makes a material difference.
Is Astris a boutique commercial law firm in Brisbane?
Yes. Astris Law is a boutique commercial law firm in Brisbane, based at Brisbane Technology Park in Eight Mile Plains, acting for directors and business owners across Brisbane and Queensland. Boutique means you deal directly with the senior lawyer running your matter rather than a team of juniors, and the firm takes on fewer matters so each one gets proper attention.
What We Can Do
Our Special Interests
Key Legislation & Frameworks
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a commercial lawyer in Brisbane do?
A commercial lawyer advises businesses on company structuring, shareholder agreements, contracts, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory compliance and commercial disputes. In Brisbane that usually means acting for directors and business owners on both transactions and the disputes that come out of them.
Is Astris Law a boutique commercial law firm in Brisbane?
Yes. Astris Law is a boutique commercial law firm based in Eight Mile Plains, Brisbane, acting for directors and business owners. You deal directly with the senior lawyer on your matter, not a team of juniors.
How much does a commercial lawyer in Brisbane cost?
It depends on the matter. Most work is charged at an hourly rate or as a fixed fee for a defined task such as a company set-up, contract review or shareholder agreement. Astris Law gives a clear fee estimate before any work starts and can agree fixed or retainer arrangements for ongoing advice.
How do I choose the right commercial lawyer in Brisbane?
Look for someone who handles matters like yours directly, gives you a straight read on cost and risk early, and is senior enough to make the call without escalating. Ask who will actually run your matter, how they charge, and what they think the real risk is. The answers tell you most of what you need to know.
What is the difference between corporate and commercial law?
Corporate law deals with the structure and governance of a company, including shareholders, directors and compliance. Commercial law deals with the day-to-day legal side of running a business, including contracts, transactions and disputes. Astris Law works across both.
Do I need a shareholder agreement for my company?
A shareholder agreement is not mandatory, but any company with more than one shareholder should have one. Without it, disputes over share transfers, dividends, deadlock and exits fall back on the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) and the company constitution, which rarely deal with them well.
Do commercial lawyers go to court?
Yes, when a dispute cannot be resolved by negotiation or mediation. Most commercial matters settle, but a commercial litigator runs the ones that need a binding decision through to judgment.
What are the key director duties under the Corporations Act?
Directors have statutory duties under sections 180 to 184 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), including to act with care and diligence, in good faith and in the best interests of the company, not to misuse their position or information, and to prevent insolvent trading. Breach can mean civil penalties, disqualification and personal liability.
Resource Centres
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Masters v Cameron Turns 72 This Year. People Still Get Caught by It
19 June 2026
The law on when a negotiation becomes binding has been settled since 1954, when the High Court decided Masters v Cameron. So it was surprising to see the Supreme Court of Victoria, in Papanastassis v Papanastassis [2026] VSC 302, hold a party to an $8.5 million settlement deed they had never signed. Nothing about the law was new. The argument was about which Masters v Cameron category the parties had landed in, and the answer cost the losing side the deal. This article sets out the categories, explains which one the case fell into and how to stay free to walk away until you sign.
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Billed as Estate Planning, the 2026 Trust Tax Changes Are a Business Problem
16 June 2026
The 2026-27 Budget's overhaul of trust and capital gains tax has been written up as an estate planning story, all wills and inheritances. That undersells it. Discretionary trusts are how a large share of Australian business is owned and run, so the same measures land on trading businesses, family enterprises and investors. The measures are real and far-reaching but not yet law. They would change the economics of owning a business through a trust, and there is a narrow window to restructure before they take effect.
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One Lawyer or a Team of Six: What the Leverage Model Actually Costs You
5 June 2026
Most business owners assume a bigger legal team means better service. Having read a lot of other firms' bills over the years, I am not convinced. This article looks at how the traditional Australian law firm model makes its money, what the current market data says about where rates are heading and why a single senior lawyer is often the cheaper and faster engagement. It also covers when the opposite is true, because sometimes it is.
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Strategic legal counsel for banks, private equity firms and venture capital funds.
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Need a corporate & commercial lawyer? Talk to Astris Law.
We work directly with our clients on corporate & commercial matters across Australia. No layers, no committees.