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Please call us on 02 8539 7475 or email us for a call back.
Brander Smith McKnight negotiates, drafts, reviews and enforces contracts for business, commercial, finance, construction and property matters, acting for clients ranging from individuals and small businesses to large companies across industries including construction, aviation and consumer goods.
Leading Contract Lawyers Sydney
Our team of highly experienced contract lawyers at BSM provide a professional, client focussed, highly responsive service in all aspects of contract law to business and commercial, finance, construction and property. Our clients range from individuals and small business all the way through to large companies.
We have experience with some of the world’s leading companies and brands. We are proud that our clients remain loyal to the firm and have developed long term relationships based on trust and professionalism and our proven track record.
Brander Smith McKnight provides exceptional legal expertise in negotiating, drafting, reviewing and advice on all aspects of contracts and complex contract law. We provide this legal service in a very cost effective, personalised and responsive manner, with considerable financial saving and a much faster turnaround compared to large city firms.
Call us to arrange a free 20 minute no obligation consultation that includes case evaluation and cost estimate.
Recent Contract Experience by Brander Smith McKnight Lawyers
Legal Agreement for Engineer & Inventor to Partner with University (2025)
Our client, an engineer and inventor, required a formal legal agreement to partner with the University of Wollongong to develop and commercialise his engineering invention. The highly experienced contract lawyers at Brander Smith McKnight negotiated, drafted and finalised the agreement. Some of the legal issues covered in the agreement were ownership of intellectual property, the split of revenue between our client and the university and the respective obligations and contributions of each party to the development of the invention. Our lawyers carefully drafted the document to protect our client’s rights and develop the business opportunities.
Supply Contracts for National Company (2024)
Our client, an Australian wide company, required supply contracts to be negotiated, drafted and finalised for a wide range of international suppliers. Some of the material being supplied included chemicals and dangerous goods. Legal issues that needed to be meticulously covered included quality control, shipping costs and risks, transport within Australia and insurance. The contracts also had to cover international trade terms, otherwise known as incoterms. The expert contract lawyers at Brander Smith McKnight were able to negotiate and finalise the extensive range of supply contracts to an exceptionally high level, covering all contingencies to manage future risks and potential legal problems.
Negotiate Service Agreements for Major Technology Project (2025)
The expert contract lawyers at Brander Smith McKnight were required to negotiate, draft and finalise a series of project management service agreements. Our client, an information technology business was undertaking a major technology project which involved data and cloud storage. The service agreements primarily related to the supply and upkeep of facilities for data and cloud storage. Legal issues included cyber-security, safety concerns and non-disclosure agreements.
Commercial Contracts
Contracts are an essential aspect of business and commercial transactions. Brander Smith McKnight Sydney contract lawyers can draft, review, amend, negotiate and enforce business contracts. We will advise you regarding your legal rights and responsibilities.
Pre-Contract Negotiations
Having a lawyer negotiate the terms of your commercial contract will protect you from unfair and unreasonable terms which if left unchecked or unamended can cause future financial losses. BSM Sydney contract lawyers will fiercely advocate for you and protect your business and commercial interests. A thorough negotiation will ensure that any contract provides for acceptable risk allocation and management, reliable payment terms, suitable term and termination provisions and that the parties properly understand the arrangement that they are entering into.
Contract Drafting
Having an effectively drafted business contract is an important step in managing commercial risks, protecting your commercial interests, avoiding ambiguity, avoiding potential disputes, protecting intellectual property and protecting against breach of confidentiality. A comprehensive and legally effective contract will clearly define the rights and obligations of the parties, ensuring future enforceability and appropriately allocate risks between the parties to the agreement. The legal team at Brander Smith McKnight lawyer Sydney have over 40 years of experience and are experts at drafting contracts of all types.
Review of Contracts
Our contract lawyers have the legal expertise to review commercial contracts prior to you signing and being bound by their terms. We can identify problematic clauses and ensure that you understand the terms and the legal rights and responsibilities the contract creates. This will help manage risk and avoid future legal problems. For further information, see our article on when is an agreement legally binding?
Enforcing Contracts
It is important that a contract is properly managed and administered to ensure that you receive the quality of service or product that you require, that you receive the payments you are entitled to and the other party performs the contract in a timely manner. BSM Law can assist with enforcing the terms and conditions of your commercial contract. Where a contract has been breached, we can pursue a number of causes of action. Any breach of a contract by one party will entitle the other party to damages, in certain circumstances other remedies may be available such as injunctions or equitable remedies including specific performance of the contract. In circumstances where there has been a material breach of a fundamental term termination and damages may be available as a remedy. For more information, see our article on the rights conferred by statutory warranties. Our expert contract lawyers understand how to enforce a contract or warranty to meet your business needs and strategies and where the other party has not performed in accordance with the contract what remedies are available to you which will meet your business needs and strategies.
Types of Business Contracts
Examples of different types of business contracts that our lawyers negotiate, draft, review and enforce are confidentiality agreements, settlement deeds, finance agreements, franchising agreements, employment contracts that contain restraint of trade clauses, guarantees, shareholder agreements, partnership agreements, distribution agreements, import/export, lease agreements, finance agreements, service agreements, supply agreements and major transactions. We recognise the unique issues which pertain to the various types of business contracts and tailor our advice accordingly. For more information, see our article on the Difference between Contracts, Deeds and Agreements.
The lawyers at Brander Smith McKnight have acted for parties in all types of transactions and contracts, for clients of all different sizes in many different industries and many different countries. A few examples include construction contracts for major infrastructure projects, contracts for the supply of dangerous goods and chemicals between parties in different countries, contracts for the development of intellectual property and new products and the supply of components in the construction of aircraft. BSM lawyers have worked in many industries including construction and infrastructure, solar energy, aviation, chemical, cosmetics, consumer goods and transport.
We work diligently to ensure that our clients legal requirements are satisfied in a manner that suits our client’s business strategy. We pride ourselves on being able to provide the most current and relevant advice by staying up to date with legislative changes. For instance the November 2023 changes to unfair contract terms. For further information on this please see our informative article Unfair Contract Terms : Recent Legislation.
Building and Construction Contracts
The contract lawyers at BSM law firm Sydney have extensive experience in all aspects of contracts in the building industry, ranging from home building to large developments. Many disputes in construction occur because of issues with contract drafting and administration. We help you prevent future disputes through meticulous, collaborative and authoritative advice, drafting and administration.
Pre-Contract Negotiations
We aggressively negotiate to ensure the removal of any unreasonable risks in the contract. Our expert contract lawyers will ensure that you have control over the building process, that the schedule of payments reflect the progress of works and that there are no unexpected price variations.
Contract Drafting in Building and Construction
The contract lawyers at BSM will deliver on quality, expediency and value for money. We recognise that building contracts need to address risk and responsibility allocation, liabilities and insurance, provision for variations, quality and inspection, delay and extension of time, payment and potential disputes. The issue of risk and responsibility allocation can be handled in several ways including design and construct, construction management and the use of both collaborative and traditional approaches. Our contract lawyers will clearly advise on the relative merits and then then reflect this in the drafting of the contracts.
Standard Construction Forms
There are multiple standard forms such as those produced by Housing Industry Association (HIA) and Australian Standards (AS). The contract lawyers at BSM have experience with these forms and will provide succinct advice, clearly explaining legal terminology and the repercussions they have to you. We can negotiate with the other parties and their solicitors and draft amendments to the standard forms.
Review of Construction Contracts
Brander Smith McKnight lawyers can review your building contract, no matter where it was drafted. We will identify any unusual clauses that may cause future problems and additional expense. We can negotiate with the other parties and amend the contract anytime prior to signing. Examples of amendments include the timing of progress payments, the inclusion of liquidated damages, control of the building schedule and approval of all variations.
Administration of Construction Contracts
Issues that may arise in the administration of contracts include payment claims, variations, delays, insurance matters, extension of time, requests for information, corporate and director disputes and defective works. The legal team at BSM have extensive experience in the administration of contracts and advise and represent you.
How can BSM Sydney Lawyer assist you?
Our team of highly experienced contract lawyers provide a professional, client focussed, highly responsive legal service to business and within the construction industry. We pride ourselves on providing all clients with the same level of exceptional service and attention to detail regardless of the size of the business or contract issue. Our contract lawyers have over 40 years of experience and have developed expertise in complex contract drafting, review, enforcement and negotiation.
Brander Smith McKnight law firm Sydney provides a highly responsive and comprehensive legal service in an extremely cost effective way. Our lawyers will achieve results at considerable savings and with a faster turn-around time compared to large city firms.
FAQs
Who are Brander Smith McKnight Sydney Lawyers' typical Clients?
We provide contract law services to a wide range of clients ranging from individuals and small businesses all the way through to large companies. We provide a complete and premium service in all aspects of contract business, commercial and finance law, and are renowned legal experts within the construction and property industry. Our commercial lawyers have several decades of experience in negotiating, reviewing, drafting and finalising and enforcing contracts in all areas, including employment, service agreements, property disputes, franchising, strata, settlement agreements and second-tier lenders agreements.
How can Brander Smith McKnight Lawyers assist with Commercial Contracts?
BSM Law offers a comprehensive service in relation to commercial contracts. We draft, review, amend, negotiate, and enforce business and commercial contracts, while advising you regarding your legal rights and responsibilities. We remain up to date with recent legislation to provide the best service to you. BSM Lawyers are also able to provide legal advice regarding potential website contract problems, in particular the risk of accepting unreasonable terms and conditions. Please see a detailed discussion of this in article Website contract problems.
How does Brander Smith McKnight Sydney Lawyers assist during Pre-Contract Negotiations?
We provide robust negotiation services to protect you from unfair and unreasonable terms. Our aim is to ensure any contract provides for acceptable risk allocation and management, reliable payment terms, and suitable term and termination provisions.
Can BSM Lawyer Sydney assist with Enforcing a Commercial Contract?
Yes, we assist with enforcing the terms and conditions of your commercial contract. If a contract has been breached, we can pursue a number of causes of action, including damages and injunctions. We understand how to enforce a contract to meet your business needs and strategies.
What are Some Examples of Business Contracts that BSM Lawyer Sydney have Experience with?
Brander Smith McKnight Sydney business lawyers have experience with a variety of business contracts, including confidentiality agreements, settlement deeds, finance agreements, shareholder agreements, partnership agreements, distribution agreements, lease agreements, service agreements, and supply agreements, among others.
How does BSM Lawyer Sydney handle Contracts in the Building and Construction Industry?
We have extensive experience in all aspects of contracts in the building industry. We help prevent future disputes through meticulous, collaborative, and authoritative advice, drafting, and administration. We can aggressively negotiate, draft contracts, work with standard construction forms, review and amend contracts, and provide contract administration. For more information, please see our building and construction law page.
What are some examples of the Industries Brander Smith McKnight Sydney Lawyer has worked in?
BSM Law has worked with many industries, including construction and infrastructure, solar energy, aviation, banking and finance, chemical, cosmetics, property, strata, consumer goods, and transport. We tailor our services to meet the unique requirements of each industry.
How does Brander Smith McKnight Sydney Lawyer compare to Large City firms?
BSM Law offers the same exceptional service as large city firms, but in an extremely cost effective and more personalised and highly responsive way. Our contract law services are delivered with considerable savings and a much faster turn-around compared to large city firms, without compromising on the quality of service.
Can BSM Lawyer Sydney assist with Standard Construction Contract forms such as those produced by Housing Industry Association (HIA) and Australian Standards (AS)?
Yes, our lawyers are experienced with various standard construction contract forms, including those produced by the HIA and Australian Standards. We can provide succinct advice, negotiate with other parties and their solicitors, and draft amendments to these standard forms. Our principal, Mark Smith, is an active member of the HIA and MBA.
Call us to arrange a free 20 minute no obligation consultation that includes case evaluation and cost estimate.
Our Locations
Sydney CBD
Level 57 25 Martin Place Sydney NSW 2000
Sutherland
Suite 2/9 15 East Parade Sutherland NSW 2232
Parramatta
Level 14, Suite 2/3 Parramatta Square Macquarie Street Parramatta NSW 2150
Wollongong
Level 1, Suite 1 90 Market Street Wollongong NSW 2500
Shellharbour
Unit V20, Shop 1 4 Benson Avenue Shellharbour City Centre NSW 2529
Suite 2/9 15 East Parade Sutherland NSW 2232
Level 57 25 Martin Place Sydney NSW 2000
Level 14, Suite 2/3 Parramatta Square Macquarie Street Parramatta NSW 2150
Level 1, Suite 1 90 Market Street Wollongong NSW 2500
Unit V20, Shop 1 4 Benson Avenue Shellharbour City Centre NSW 2529
Your Contracts Team
Get in touch
Please call us on 02 8539 7475 or complete the enquiry form below for a response within 24 hours Monday to Friday.
