As one of Brisbane’s largest commercial law firms, Cooper Grace Ward brings together a team of agribusiness lawyers with extensive experience across the sector’s entire supply chain. Our lawyers advise clients at every stage, from farm production through to marketing and export.
With deep knowledge of the issues affecting the industry, our team acts for clients in a broad range of agribusiness sectors around Australia, including:
- Cotton
- Sugar
- Horticulture
- Grain
- Poultry
- Pork
- Sheep
- Dairy
- Beef.
More than 40 years advising agribusiness clients
Our commercial lawyers have advised some of Australia’s leading agribusiness companies in relation to the acquisition and sale of large scale businesses, land and other assets.
The types of clients we represent include:
- Australian primary producers, processors, transporters and exporters
- multinational corporations including foreign investors and pension funds
- family-owned agribusinesses
- industry representative bodies
- research and development organisations
- government agencies.
Demonstrated track record of success
As legal advisers to agribusiness clients since the 1980s, our team has partnered with agribusinesses through every stage of industry transformation. From guiding clients through the privatisation and corporatisation of key sectors, to advising on innovation, sustainability and expansion into global markets, we continue to support the industry’s evolution.
This demonstrated track record has led to ongoing market recognition for the firm as a leading legal adviser to the industry. This includes independent recognition for Cooper Grace Ward and our team in the annual Doyle’s Guide coverage of Leading Agribusiness Lawyers and Agribusiness Law Firms in Queensland.
Comprehensive agribusiness legal services
Cooper Grace Ward provides legal advice and support to clients in agribusiness and primary production in relation to:
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Capital raisings and initial public offerings (IPOs)
- Governance, directors’ duties and structuring, including cooperatives
- Rural property acquisitions, sales and alternative land use, including renewable energy developments and associated conduct and compensation agreements
- Environmental management and compliance, including biosecurity legal issues
- Water rights and entitlements, including acquisition, transfer, licensing and compliance
- Workplace relations and safety
- Intellectual property, including in relation to Australian and international trademarks
- Commercial advice and agreements, ranging from stakeholder agreements and joint venture agreements to share farming and agistment agreements
- Trade agreements for distribution, marketing and licensing, including terms of trade, Incoterms and agreements for domestic and international use
- Competition and consumer law
- Revenue, tax and superannuation
- Legal compliance, including anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing and foreign corruption legislative requirements
- Business succession, including estate planning and intergenerational wealth transfer
- Litigation and dispute resolution.
