Talking Law

Welcome back to Talking Law - and for our first release of 2024, Joanna Oakey is joined by Alexi Boyd, Lead Consultant, Policy Strategist & Radio Show Host @ Small Biz Matters and former CEO of Council of Small Business Organisation Australia (COSBOA). Alexi is an absolute powerhouse behind small business advocacy in Australia. This conversation is full of insights about the critical importance of advocacy in the small business sector and the impact advisors can have in it - as well as a journey through the processes of policy-making and its direct impact on the day-to-day operations of Australian small businesses. This episode is not just small talk; it's a call to action for every business owner and advisor who's felt overshadowed by the daunting world of regulations and policies - and the advisors they turn to in these moments.

In this episode, which is part of our Shareholders’ Agreements series, we interview Simon Bedard, the Founder and CEO of Exit Advisory Group, to discuss the critical role of Shareholder Agreements in business deals. Our host, Joanna Oakey, and Simon delve into the significance of Shareholder Agreements from both commercial and legal standpoints. They provide a comprehensive roadmap for creating a Shareholder Agreement that serves as a valuable guide for the future of your business. This discussion is particularly relevant to accountants as they play a crucial role in advising their clients on the financial implications of Shareholder Agreements.

In this episode, we revisit our discussion with Meena Wahi the Director of Aspect SME Insurance. Meena and our host, Joanna Oakey discuss what makes Aspect SME Insurance different from other types of insurance and also run through the distinct types of insurance that are available for businesses. In this discussion, they also drill into a few relevant case studies that show the dos and don’ts of SME insurance. Connect with Meena Wahi Aspect SME Insurance Connect with our Legal Eagles! Book a Lawyer Now! Relevant Episodes: [EP 125] Insurance Hacks For SMEs Part 1 [EP 126] Insurance Hacks For SMEs Part 2

We’ll be hanging up our headphones for a few weeks of downtime over the summer break. We just wanted to say thank you to all of you who listen in - and provide amazing feedback and a big thank you to all our fabulous guests - We have loved the discussions we have had this year with Accountants, Small Business Owners, managers/CEOs and industry thought leaders as well, chatting through your stories and digging into your knowledge - we know that what you share with us and our listeners is so valuable, so thank you for taking the time to jump on and record. We’ll be back in 2023 with some exciting news, some fresh episodes full of stories, industry insights and the latest thinking on how to avoid the lurking legal landmines before they blow up a business. Until then - We hope everyone has a fantastic break if you’re taking one, and enjoy the festive season. Connect with our Legal Eagles! Book a Lawyer Now!

In this week’s Talking Law episode we are sharing our discussion with Business Growth Strategist, Athin Cassiotis. Athin is the host of a fabulous podcast called The Business Growth Show, and kindly featured our host Joanna Oakey as one of his guests - the discussion was really insightful so we thought we’d share it with you too! Joanna and Athin talked about the top legal mistakes businesses make, how to protect the value of your business, what to negotiate when selling our business, key considerations for IP, plus much, much more!

In this episode of Talking Law, we feature a replay of one of our most popular podcasts. Indemnity clauses often carry an enormous amount of risk, which can far exceed a contract's value. So in this episode, we explore the main risks in indemnity clauses that you might be signing, and on the flip side, the way to use indemnity clauses best to provide protection. EP 013 Demystifying indemnity clauses Indemnity Tips Are your indemnity clauses a ticking time bomb? Book a Lawyer Now!

This episode is a two-part series talking about the ins-and-outs of grants. We speak with the CEO and Founder of GrantReady, Adrian Spencer - a pioneer in grant space. In addition to developing various grant strategies, he has also secured over $500 million in grants and funding and has been a government advisor on grant-making. In this first half, we talk about the opportunities for SME businesses to access more funding, growth and investment without relying on revenue to do so. Then, we drill into some of the grants that are available at the moment for SMEs. Adrian also shares with us the common pitfalls when it comes to Grant applications and shares some tips on best practices to avoid them, as well as two very handy platforms that can help you (or your clients) identify relevant grants as they are released. Adrian and the team at Grant Guru have been kind enough to extend a bonus offer to The Deal Room listeners – 20% off all annual subscriptions to GrantGuru-Essentials. This platform is exactly what any small business owner will need to hone in on finding grants that match their business/industry throughout the year. Use Code: aspectlegal Access via the Grant Guru website here Book a Lawyer Now!

In this Talking Law episode, we have Mark Gardiner from our very own Aspect Legal M&A team. We drill into various considerations when you are leasing premises and what you should be thinking about when entering into a commercial lease. Mark is a fabulous person to talk about this topic because he has decades of experience dealing with businesses and leasing requirements. He shares his insights about when in the lease negotiations you will be in the greatest position of power and of course, we talk through a heap of tips and traps in relation to leasing.

Today we are joined by Paula Tallon, Tax Director at Prosperity Advisors group. Together, Paula & Joanna run through traps in deal term sheets that are too detailed, and what to think about when you're preparing your Heads of Agreement or commercial term sheet documents. Even though in this episode we were talking specifically about term sheets used in business and share sale and acquisition transactions, the warnings are just as relevant for any MOU, LOI, heads of agreement or commercial terms type document. Ultimately you need to be clear on whether or not you want that document to be binding - and if it is binding, whether you intend for the whole or just part of it to be enforceable because ultimately your legal and tax position can ride on fine distinctions.

In this episode, Aspect Legal's Jelena Milanovic talks us through the general impacts of the pandemic on the construction industry, in particular pricing and construction contracts. Jelena along with our host Joanna Oakey also drills into how supply chain shortages, pricing pressures and now natural disasters, are likely to impact the sector from a legal perspective. Importantly, we cover what construction businesses and suppliers can do to protect themselves from uncertainty.

In today's episode, we talk to the legendary Paul Dunn from B1G1 on why the movement of business for good, is so good for business. He and our host Joanna Oakey look at how some businesses are building a culture of giving, how B1G1 was established and how this ties in with the need to identify your purpose.

This week’s Talking Law podcast is the first of a two-part series with Meena Wahi, where we talk all about the newest member of the Aspect Group of Companies: Aspect SME Insurance. In this first episode, Meena and our host, Joanna Oakey, share why they started this new business, the power of integrating legal and insurance services, and how insurance plays an important part in risk management for a business. Don’t miss the second part of this series on the common mistakes that SMEs make when dealing with insurance and discuss real cases studies.