About

We are an integrated professional services firm providing legal, compliance and other advisory services to solve complex business problems.

Established in 2013, we were founded to offer clients “The New Way” in professional services – one of the first of its kind. With this foresight and the application of our respective disciplines, high capability talent and agile commercial models we ensure our clients’ complex business problems are solved.

Our team of lawyers (many from top-tier law firms) have decades of experience in mergers & acquisitions; corporate and commercial law; governance, compliance and regulation; finance; IT; IP; real property; contracting; projects and employment law. Our firm’s culture is based on providing clients with high value, technical (but pragmatic), advice.

Our global clients are based in Australia, United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, Singapore, China and Hong Kong and include both public and private companies, start-ups through to mature entities. Our integrated advisory approach and commercial acumen is why they keep coming back to us.

Our purpose and values is at the core of everything we do for our clients. View these here.

We have a strategic partnership with GRC Solutions, leaders in the Governance, Risk and Compliance training space. Our partnership allows us to provide centralised and agile legal, consulting, governance and compliance services to the benefit of our clients.

Integrated
Multi-Disciplinary Advice

Ash St. provides fully integrated and independent expert advice that delivers robust, high quality business solutions quickly and cost effectively. Strong legal backgrounds combine with other professions including corporate finance, tax, human resources, strategy and management consulting and organisational design to challenge traditional thinking without the cognitive bias that may exist in any one professional discipline.

High
Capability Talent

Ash St. has built a team of senior “experts”, each with lengthy proven experience in their professional fields and who were chosen for their ability to work collaboratively to deliver client solutions. Ash St. has moved away from the disruptive ‘patch protection’ behaviour that sometimes exists in professional services firms as we believe this does not best serve the client. Our experts have the benefit of broad industry networks that we use to benefit our clients.

Agile
Commercial Models

Ash St. is a boutique firm and our size affords us low fixed overheads so that we can concentrate the full resources of our firm on client matters. This makes work interesting and fun for our teams and clients benefit from our ability to formulate creative commercial models to suit their specific needs, whether they are a start-up, an ASX100 or a multinational company. Our size permits an agility rarely seen in professional services.

Legal Services

Ash Street Partners Pty Ltd is a registered law practice under The Law Society of New South Wales and provides a full range of services in the Business-to-Business market.

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Corporate & M&A
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Projects & Finance
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Disputes & Litigation
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IT & IP
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Workplace Relations
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Governance, Compliance & Regulation

Other Advisory Services

Ash St. provides other Advisory Services at Board and Executive level around the proven characteristics of sustained business success.

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Business Strategy

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Business Strategy

An organisation’s business strategy is contextual to the environment within which it operates and a clear statement of purpose over an agreed timeframe.  We assist clients in analysing market context, defining their purpose given that context, establishing a timeframe and the overarching goal(s) to take a leadership position in competitive markets.  From there we define the strategic pillars (Strategy) that will enable the Goal(s) to be met.  Our work can include market analysis, customer segmentation, competitive analysis, financial modelling, writing business plans, executive facilitation, strategy off-sites and providing an independent ear to test assumptions.

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Innovation & Change

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Innovation & Change

These are probably two of the most overused terms today but we take a proven academic approach to helping organisations tackle both.   Our approach draws upon the behavioural science of change backed up by the latest research into the neuroscience of change and provides practical approaches to understanding how change happens, how your teams can think differently, and how to sustain such a change journey.  Furthermore, we understand that change needs happen to start any innovation initiatives (innovation is thinking differently by definition).  We can kick start that process by assessing your innovation efficacy using a large global data set, and make recommendations to strengthen your plans.

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Organisational Design

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Organisational Design

Our organisational design approach ensures your business strategy is implemented through the structure of the organisation.  Your organisation will be clear on its roles and accountabilities, and how these support the business strategy. The organisation’s structure is aligned to its goals. There will be no overlapping of accountabilities or unnecessary layers of management, avoiding wasted effort. This includes a definition of the work to be done, cascading role accountabilities, and matching those roles to personal capability. This method uses proven methods based on a large body of organisation design research.

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New Ventures

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New Ventures

We provide services to a wide range of new ventures including Australian branch offices, start-ups and other high-growth entities. With specific regard to current legislation, we can advise you on appropriate legal, tax and operating structures and provide you with research services relating to market context, competition and size, and the realisation of your business goals. We advise on and write business plans, review business strategy and organisational structures, and can identify capability gaps. In addition, we offer advice on and can connect you to trusted funding options including bank and non-bank debt capital, venture capital, high net worth investors and family offices.  Our services are sensitive and pragmatic to those organisations whose current capital is scarce and often grow our services with these clients over time.

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R&D Tax & Grants

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R&D Tax & Grants

We assist companies in applying for Australian Government R&D tax offsets and grants, working across the IT, manufacturing, mining, oil and gas, life sciences, food and beverage, financial services, and technology start-up sectors and more. Our experience is that many Australian companies undertake R&D projects but fail to make an R&D claim or apply for an industry or export grant until far too late in the process.  We can help you by identifying current and future projects and their eligibility for such grants against strict compliance criteria, including by reviewing supporting documentation and associated expenditure to ensure your ability to make valid claims in a timely manner, with an eye to fuelling further R&D investments.

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Corporate Tax

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Corporate Tax

Ash St. provides a full range of business tax advice covering Australian tax law as well as Australian companies doing business in international tax jurisdictions. Tax laws are constantly changing and becoming increasingly technical requiring the advice of experts who can advise you appropriately on how to structure your tax affairs. Our tax team also consists of legal and regulatory experts to ensure any advice is balanced and with clear support for a practical implementation. As your business changes we understand the importance of adapting and providing you with current, expert advice that is always appropriate for your current business context.

Solutions

To demonstrate the New Way in Professional Services we have responded to overwhelming client requests for pre-defined Solutions to common business needs that have transparent pricing and can be implemented quickly.

Whistleblower Essentials Whistleblower Essentials whistleblower act essentials package
BEAR Toolkit BEAR Toolkit to help meet your BEAR obligations
Strategy Day Strategy Day simple approach to strategic planning
Pitch Perfect Pitch Perfect investor messaging and connections
Legal Audit Legal Audit assessing minimum requirements for SMEs
Innovation Diagnostic Innovation Diagnostic a global benchmark
Governance Review Governance Review structured assessment
of efficacy
Crisis Management Crisis Management step-by-step guide to mitigate risk

Publications

Proposed New ASIC Guidance Released | Whistleblower Policies 12th August 2019
Upcoming Product Requirements | BEAR, Design and Distribution 7th August 2019
Ash St. in GIAs Governance Journal – July 2019 5th July 2019
CCH Pinpoint | Ash St. Legal & Advisory Articles Published 5th June 2019
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Team

Lyn Woods Director - MBA

Lyn is the CEO and a Director providing advice to clients on areas of business strategy, leadership, talent management, organisational design, and employment risk matters. Her background includes senior roles in global brand corporations and top-tier law firms. Lyn is also a Non-Executive Director for an Australian financial services company, a leading compliance training company and a global manufacturer.

Peter Shaw Director - MBA BSc LLB

Peter is top-tier trained with a focus on corporate/commercial advice specifically on public and private M&A transactions (nominated for M&A Advisor of the Year 2018), equity capital markets, private equity, strategic joint ventures and corporate governance. Peter acts for substantial private companies, investors and family offices and for a broad range of early stage companies. Peter is also an Alumni Council member of The University of Sydney.

Shaun McGushin Director - MBA LLB

Shaun is one of Australia’s most experienced advisers on infrastructure and finance, including greenfield and brownfield projects, buying and selling infrastructure assets, public private partnerships, project finance, corporate finance, acquisition and asset finance, capital markets and workouts. Shaun has over 30 years’ experience advising local and international corporates on a wide range of transactions with particular focus on the infrastructure, power, energy and resources industries.

Samantha Carroll Practice Director Governance, Compliance & Regulation

Samantha is a governance, compliance and regulation expert with 10 years’ experience in the Governance and Compliance division of a top-tier law firm and three years as the Head of Compliance for a mid-tier bank. Samantha has significant experience advising public and private sector clients on the implementation, upgrading and review of their governance and compliance systems. Samantha is an accredited Governance, Risk and Compliance professional and Fellow GRC Institute and Deputy Chair of BABI Youth and Family Service Board and Fellow GIA.

David Ward Director - MBA BSc(Hons)

David leads the consulting advisory practice with an expertise working with executive teams on the development and successful execution of sustainable business strategies. He has a passion for business transformation through: strategy design and execution; building high performance teams; organisational design; IT and operations; sales and marketing; procurement; shared services and outsourcing; early-stage ventures; and managing culture change programs.

Janna Parfenova Associate Director - LLM LLB

Janna has worked with a focus on corporate/commercial advice specifically on public and private M&A transactions, private equity, venture capital and corporate governance. Janna acts on share and business sale transactions, public takeovers and schemes of arrangement. She has advised on share purchase and option plans, employee incentive schemes, convertible note issues and private placements. Janna is an accredited Family Business Australia adviser and also a fluent Russian speaker.

Andrew Calvin Associate Director - LLM LLB

Andrew has a very strong legal and commercial background in information technology, social media, procurement, systems integration, commercial property, construction, infrastructure, complex property development, intellectual property, dispute resolution and corporate governance. These skills have been gained in international private practice, a multi-national ASX-listed group, and Australian Federal and State corporations. Andrew also writes on legal technology for the Journal of the Law Society of New South Wales.

Katrecia March Special Counsel - LLM LLB GAICD

Katrecia is a top-tier trained, corporate/M&A lawyer, with nearly 20 years’ experience, specialising in both advisory and transactional work. She has particular expertise in corporate governance and corporate actions, including share buy-backs, capital reductions, directors’ duties, meeting procedure and regulatory compliance. Katrecia is also a notary public, a fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia, and a specialist advisor with respect to corporate governance for Director Assist (a service operated by IFX Legal in partnership with the Australian Institute of Company Directors).

Michelle Bradshaw Special Counsel - BCom (Hons) LLB (Hons) GradDipRiskMgmt&CorpGov

Michelle is a governance, compliance and regulation expert with direct experience managing engagement with regulators and various other government and non-government stakeholders. She has worked both in the private sector, banking institutions and in the public sector for start-up government entities setting up legal and compliance functions. Michelle also has significant experience advising on complex finance transactions including 11 years’ experience as a lawyer and consultant for a leading international law firm. Michelle is a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia.

Daniel Gallagher Graduate | Projects & Finance

Daniel recently completed his law degree through the UNSW and is a graduate in our Projects & Finance practice.

Chris Barton Employment Law Consultant

Chris has worked for a broad range of private and public sector clients and has over 30 years' experience in all aspects of employee relations including employment law, workplace relations, occupational health & safety, and discrimination and equal opportunity law.

Danny Sankey Litigation Consultant

Danny is a highly regarded and respected Litigation Lawyer, has practised as a barrister in common law, and for many years has acted and continues to work as General Counsel for the CPS group of companies and consultant for Ash St. Legal & Advisory.

Catherine Tomic Head of Marketing & Development

Catherine has over 15 years’ experience as a professional marketer and has represented top tier financial services organisations with domestic and global footprints. She is deeply client centric, passionate about the customer journey as well as helping companies grow. Catherine leads the marketing & development function at Ash St.

Events

Whistleblower Webinar 4 July 2019 at 1pm (AEST)
29th Annual Credit Law Conference 4-6 September 2019
TechnologyOne Showcase 2019 5th June 2019
Legal Innovation & Tech Fest Sydney 2019 Speaker 13th June 2019
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Contact

You are invited to contact Ash St. using the form below, visiting us at our offices or calling our reception. Whatever method you choose you are assured of a friendly response and we will do our utmost to prove we are The New Way in Professional Services.

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Level 21, 1 York Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia

+61 2 8651 8700