Civic Legal is a boutique law firm in Western Australia - we are a team of accessible and experienced lawyers. Our approachable team uses its legal experience and expertise to provide real solutions for commercial and private clients as well as local government. We provide advice and representation on a range of matters, including local government law, insurance & risk management, property development and planning law, due diligence work for mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, contract drafting and commercial dispute resolution. A favourite of the WA local government sector, we are a preferred legal supplier on the WA Local Government Association (WALGA) panel. Our specialised Insurance & Risk Management team is trusted by major insurers, as well as independent contractors and private clients. We also have the capability to assist Chinese and Malay-speaking clients, particularly those from Singapore and Malaysia who conduct business across Asia and WA.
At Civic Legal, we know that the smooth running of a business requires solid legal foundations to be in place.
As a full-service commercial law firm, our lawyers have experience assisting in a wide variety of industries, including mining services, transport services, property development, strata titles management, insurance companies and the building and construction industries. We also assist professional service providers such as accountants and insolvency practitioners.
We are able to assist with a variety of corporate transactions such as mergers and acquisitions of businesses, company incorporations and due diligence projects. We draft or review corporate documentation such as shareholder agreements, employment agreements, loan agreements, joint venture agreements and corporate finance documentation such as debentures, convertible notes, guarantees and other types of loan finance securitisation.
We are also able to assist with corporate, commercial and insolvency-related litigation.
We appear in all of the Courts in Western Australia as well as the State Administrative Tribunal. Our team was involved in one of the largest trials in the Supreme Court of Western Australia in recent years.
Our lawyers advise on both simple and complex family arrangements. This sometimes includes family businesses with succession planning considerations. When it comes to complex family arrangements which involve overseas assets, Civic Legal can call on its associates in the global Ally Law network of law firms.
We take time to understand and clarify your wishes in relation to your estate, trusts, guardians for any minor children, and enduring powers of attorney. We put in place the right documents and processes to help ensure that your wishes are dutifully carried out.
In the event that a will or probate is to be challenged, our firm can represent you in negotiations with other family members. If those negotiations break down, then our litigation lawyers can represent you in Court.
The Arena
In the ideal world, there would be no disputes. However, the reality is that there will be occasions when your interests conflict with the interests of another party.
When a dispute needs to be resolved, it can be done as informally as having the conversation with the other party. On the other hand, it can be as formal as proceedings in one of the courts.
When they face a dispute, our clients often feel that the problem is intractable and it is not possible to resolve that dispute without the intervention of a third party or the legal system.
They are not always familiar with the different pathways available to them in resolving disputes that may arise.
Why Civic Legal?
Our team has a breadth and depth of experience that can help a client navigate their way to a resolution. Civic Legal lawyers are passionate about finding the most strategic and cost-effective way of dealing with our clients’ legal disputes.
Our lawyers have many years of experience in all types of litigation including complex and high-value matters. This includes matters that were taken to the High Court of Australia, and which set precedents in Australian personal injuries law.
Our lawyers are engaged daily in assisting clients navigate their way through the legal system, applying the most suitable strategy for the particular occasion. Our team has the capability to provide advice and representation to resolve most types of legal disputes. Where the matter becomes highly complex or contentious, then we carefully select and brief counsel from the independent Bar with the most suitable expertise for the particular case.
Our team is not only experienced in formal litigation work. We are also regularly engaged in mediation and arbitration processes, which demand alternative dispute resolution skills and experience. These skills are brought to bear in assisting our clients to resolve disputes that require resolution using such skills.
“Walcon Marine Australasia engaged Civic Legal to represent it recently with regard to a matter in the Fair Work Commission. We found the firm to be very friendly and approachable to deal with. When it came to the actual FWC process, Civic Legal worked responsively and seamlessly with us to get our legal position clearly presented. We were pleased with the outcome and that speaks well of Civic Legal. We liked the way Civic Legal showed commitment and professionalism throughout the matter and we would have no hesitation in recommending Civic Legal to other businesses.”
Brad Hunting
General Manager, Walcon Marine Australasia Pty Ltd
We can advise and act in the following:
Arbitration
Conciliation
Class action litigation
Commercial litigation
Construction litigation
Corporate litigation
Insurance litigation
Probate litigation
State Administrative Tribunal
The Arena
In property and development matters, one may face the pressures of meeting strict budgets and time frames, as well as demands from environmental authorities and the community. Such projects can have a great physical impact on a lifestyle, a neighbourhood or a district.
Why Civic Legal?
We know that property and development transactions need lawyers who are not only exacting in their approach to the law, but also have a broader commercial understanding of the project.
The Civic Legal team understands these dynamics, so we strive to provide timely, cost-effective and comprehensive support to our clients.
Property Law for Corporate and Commercial Clients
The work that our team manages ranges from routine residential property transactions to complex multi-million dollar projects. The latter often involve multi-lot strata developments in joint ventures between Australian property developers and inbound foreign investors. Such projects require Foreign Investment Review Board approval and a suite of associated documentation.
We pay attention to the overall goals of the parties and act stringently to make sure that our clients’ interests are protected to the maximum extent possible.
Property Law for Local Governments
Our deep familiarity with the needs of the local government sector enables us to not only assist in routine property conveyancing work but also with more complex work such as Commonwealth funded subdivision projects in public-private partnership arrangements.
We understand local government; we understand property law. This combination enables our team to help our clients execute their transactions smoothly. Such transactions could include sales of land pursuant to section 6.68 of the Local Government Act or and compliance with section 3.58 of the Act when disposing of land generally or entering into lease agreements.
With regard to leasing work, our team is also knowledgeable in the kind of leasing agreements that local governments often need to implement with community organisations and clubs and commercial enterprises within their districts.
Native Title
Obligations under the Native Title Act 1993 can add a layer of long-term complexity to property and development projects. The conflicting needs and demands of various interest groups and the government agencies can be sources of concern to our clients.
At Civic Legal, we identify for our clients the various factors at play and then advise them accordingly. We favour the approach of reaching agreement between all parties, and work sensitively and patiently towards a mutually acceptable solution.
Our firm appears regularly in the Native Title Tribunal and Federal Court to protect the interests of clients where native title claims affect land in which they have an interest or a potential interest.
We can advise and act in the following:
Legislation covered includes:
