Contacts
Deputy General Counsel and Property Practice Leader Commercial
Senior Executive Lawyer
Senior General Counsel
AGS strategically manages whole-of-life property requirements for the Commonwealth across all jurisdictions.
Our experience and approach ensures that you receive top-quality legal advice and assistance from a trusted partner.
AGS's combination of commercial experience and perspective as a government entity and the central legal provider to Government is unique. It means we understand and can assist you to balance the requirements of the regulatory and policy framework relating to the acquisition, management and disposal of your property interests with the commercial context and drivers of the property market.
Providing exceptional service to government is not part of our business. It is core to what we do, every day. Government is our business.
Critically, we will only act for government. We will never be conflicted. Your best long and short-term interests will always align with ours. We are proactive, strategic and realistic.
Our whole-of-government knowledge underpins our delivery of operational results and ability to achieve genuine value for our clients.
There is no one better placed to manage your legal risk. Whatever the scope or volume, our strategic understanding of over-arching Commonwealth legal and policy requirements, combined with granular knowledge of local jurisdictional issues, will add value and efficiency to all your property transactions.
It's important that you get the right advice to meet your project objectives. We have excellent relationships and are experienced in negotiating with industry bodies, all major commercial landlords, developers and financiers in the market – we know their approaches, their documents and how best to manage a negotiation with them, based on real knowledge and experience.
We will proactively provide you with commercially strategic insights across all markets to help inform and shape the best possible outcomes.
We will work collaboratively with you to deliver practical commercial outcomes.
Our large dedicated property team understands the legal and financial options, the market trends and risks, the best operational, legal and financial structures, and the interplay with the regulatory environment for a deal.
Our property lawyers have successfully managed complex and large-scale brown and greenfield land acquisitions for the Commonwealth. We are aware of State and Territory laws that can impact your acquisition, and also the likely community response and media interest in your project.
In volume accommodation acquisitions, the imperatives are often cost and rapid turnaround. Our clients benefit from our vast experience in roll-out programs.
We have developed a range of sophisticated portfolio management support tools, documents, systems and strategies that enable us to handle high-volume accommodation acquisitions and other property transactions efficiently, cost-effectively and quickly, delivering value through streamlined processes.
We have unparalleled expertise in supporting government in the rationalisation of agency portfolios. We supported Finance in the development of the Lease Divestment Handbook and associated templates. We have acted for Commonwealth entitles in the assignment, sub-lease or partial surrender of space, bringing to those deals a practical, commercial perspective balanced with an eye for regulatory compliance.
Our experience
We are highly experienced in strategic planning and support our clients with a comprehensive service on development, acquisition and divestment projects, covering the full spectrum of issues through:
- early planning phases, including the assessment of options and models for achieving the preferred outcome
- contracts and other document development
- legal and process advice throughout the activity
- negotiations and contract settlement
- ongoing contract management advice.
We support you with through-life property services on issues such as:
- rent reviews, valuations and lease-end obligations
- outgoings and indemnities
- permitted use and disclosure statements
- work health and safety
- default and termination, eviction and re-entry
- environmental, heritage and planning laws
- damage and destruction
- options and assignments
- breach-of-occupancy arrangements
- dispute resolution.
We act, and have acted, for many Commonwealth entities in supporting their maintenance, renovation, fit-out, and construction projects.
We often provide advice on the applicability of Commonwealth policies and procedures, including the Commonwealth Procurement Rules and the Building Code 2016. You benefit from our experience in acting in disposals and divestments of land for a range of clients, meaning that we understand and can anticipate the issues that arise when selling or divesting property for the Commonwealth. We are across the Commonwealth and jurisdictional legislative requirements and documentation, and we are knowledgeable and experienced in using the electronic platform PEXA in those jurisdictions where its use is mandatory.