Brokers
Meridian Lawyers provides brokers with focused advice and support. You will experience exceptional personal service and practical, strategic and cost-effective counsel from lawyers with substantial broker and insurance industry knowledge.
We understand brokers’ day-to-day operations better than most lawyers, after representing Steadfast Group, Australia’s largest insurance broker network group, in its major program of investment in 68 of its member brokers.
We acted on the majority of Steadfast Group’s business acquisitions and as a result we gained a detailed understanding the various frameworks within which brokers operate, the challenges broking businesses face and the overarching regulatory environment.
Supporting brokers
Our experienced team of lawyers knows and understands how brokers operate. Our depth of industry knowledge, combined with our cost-conscious approach and ‘one team’ focus, drives our responsiveness.
Our team’s combined experience gives us a thorough understanding of the operations and risk management strategies of the broker and insurance industry.
Our unique structure and business model allows us to distil the qualities of larger law firms but operate with the efficiencies of smaller practices. You will deal with people of exceptional quality and experience, matching our understanding of broking and insurance.
Legal advice and services
Our invaluable knowledge of broking businesses and insurance gives you a market advantage. We help clients forge partnerships and provide services while navigating a myriad of rules. Our legal offering and experience extends across a number of areas including:
Business structuring
- advice, partnerships, trusts and general advice about designing the most appropriate and effective business structure
- shareholder agreements/share purchase/buy sell/option agreements/business succession planning advice.
Broker operations
- employment advice, contracts, contractor agreements
- unfair dismissal/termination/adverse action claims
- discrimination/bullying/harassment and workplace investigations
- occupational health and safety
- obligations arising under modern awards
- confidentiality/privacy and protection of intellectual property
- commercial leases
- Wills and probate
Commercial litigation
- commercial disputes
- policy coverage disputes
Dealing with the regulator
- licensing advice
- AR and other agreements
Dealing with the insurer
- binder agreements
- distribution and service provider agreements.
Legal Insights
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Corporate governance update: ASX Rules
The 3rd edition of the ASX Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations was released on 27 March 2014 with revisions aimed at the latest developments in corporate governance. What are the Principles and Recommendations? The ASX Listing Rules require ASX listed companies to disclose their corporate governance practices by reference to…
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Keeping your website up-to-date and accurate
The evolution of digital media means that when incorrect material is published the publisher has additional means available to minimise the harm caused – namely take it off the website and/or publish a timely update. By extension, a failure to do this adds to the damage caused. The Times debacle…
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Strategic shareholding agreement with Steadfast Group
August 2013: Steadfast Group Limited has acquired a shareholding interest in Meridian Lawyers in what represents an exciting development for the Australian law firm. The alliance embodies a cutting-edge business approach for a legal firm in Australia – something not seen previously in legal circles – and marks the transformation…
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Employment Insights: Fair Work Commission lays down some markers on bullying
As lawyers we often hesitate in drawing definite conclusions on allegations of bullying, so the last thing we want is for a general article like this to embolden the bully or intimidate the victim. This is because the facts of each case are so critical. For a long time there…
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Meridian Lawyers successful in long-running professional negligence case
Meridian Lawyers has successfully defended a long-running professional negligence case against a solicitor. Case note: Borgese [2017] NSWSC 92: The plaintiff, Domenico Borgese, was born into a family of orchardists near Leeton. He lived with his five sisters and his parents, Carmella and Giuseppe on the family farm. The plaintiff left school…
