Legal Services
The Gravitus Legal Sevices team understands that when you need legal services you need them to be fast, accurate, cost effective and commercially appropriate. We combine proven expertise with personal service to deliver comprehensive solutions to our clients in both the private and public sector throughout Australia.
Our Aim: To provide you with timely, commercially practical and cost effective solutions to all your legal requirements in the following Specialised Areas:
Construction and Development: advising owners, developers and contractors, on all facets of the financing, design, and construction of all sizes of commercial, mixed use and retail developments. Providing strategic assistance in project delivery from focused contract reviews; through drafting and negotiating contracts to delivering an easy to use procedures manual for the day to day administration of the contract and the project. Negotiating with financiers and finalising finance documentation for construction developments as well as providing all ancillary services and documents necessary during the lifecycle of such developments.
Property Law: assisting owners and developers to identify, acquire, hold, develop, market and lease or sell all forms of commercial, industrial, residential, retail, and mixed use sites. Time and cost efficient transactional processing of company, old system and Torrens title properties, including subdivisions and strata and community plans and licensing and leasing including Green Leases. We have assisted numerous property owners on the Energy Efficiency of their assets for compliance purposes under the Energy Efficiency Opportunities Act; Mandatory Disclosure Obligations; and National Greenhouse & Energy Reporting Act as well as accessing funding options through Energy Service Companies (ESCO) for the upgrade of existing УdirtyФ commercial/industrial buildings.
Infrastructure, Environmental & Energy Services: provide clients with advice on regulatory and transactional matters with a particular focus on major infrastructure PPPs; Renewable Energy Projects; and Waste Projects by providing advice on: procurement and probity; regulatory and planning requirements; development and construction contracts; operational and maintenance contracts; Power Purchase Agreements and Feedstock Contracts; Finance Documentation and Security; and Contract Administration. We also provide specialist skill sets in Cleantech; Renewable Energy; Energy Efficiency and Carbon Trading.
Dispute Resolution & Litigation Services: When disputes arise we collaborate with you to identify the factual issues and develop a strategic plan focused on a timely and cost effective resolution which maintains the relationship wherever. We understand that disputes are not budgeted items and endeavour to reduce your exposure to legal costs by offering early issue identification and preliminary claims assessment services on a fixed fee basis wherever possible. We are experienced at all forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution, and, where necessary, have a litigation team with expertise and experience at all levels of the Court system. We also specialise in preparing and defending building and construction claims made under the УSecurity of PaymentФ regimes in all States.
Corporate Law: we provide assistance and advice on a wide range of corporate matters, including: corporate risk and compliance; directors and officers obligations; shareholders’ rights and obligations; company structuring including Project Specific Special Purpose Vehicles; financial services and product advice; debt/equity financing; project finance including holding, mezzanine and construction loans; voluntary administration, insolvency and receivership; security; corporate due diligence reports for administrators.
Commercial Law: wide ranging advice on establishing and disposing of businesses; sale/purchase of land; regulatory advice on the Trade Practices Act and Sale of Goods Acts; IT Contracts; Licencing; Franchise Agreements; Partnerships; Joint Ventures; Trusts; Debt Recovery; Intellectual Property; Mediation; Registered Clubs; Shopping Centers; Retirement Villages.
- Property Advisory & Development Management
- Planning
- Engineering & Energy
- Property Taxation & Accounting
- Valuation & Property Management
- Finance
- Legal Services
- Architecture & Design
Contact Team Director
James Clancy
Partner
Phone: 02 9233 3144
Mobile: 0407 252 629
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Key Areas of Practice
Partner in charge of the Projects Team
Construction documentation and negotiation
Project administration
Professional Qualifications and Associations
Admitted to practice in 1997
Bachelor of Civil Engineering University of Sydney
Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Bond University
New South Wales Law Society
Graduate Member of the Institute of Engineers
Accredited Mediator (LEADR)
Professional Insight
James has extensive experience in drafting contract conditions, formal instruments of agreement, deeds, commercial leases, claims and other documents that deliver a complete response to our clients’ needs. This expertise is complemented by extensive experience in the management of disputes, from expert determinations through to complex proceedings in the Supreme Court of NSW.
James’ focus is on maximising clients’ opportunities to realise commercial objectives by conducting risk assessment of tender conditions and contract engagement and proposing timely and commercial solutions.
James has worked as a solicitor for over 10 years, being an integral part of the firm since June 1999 and now leads the Project Team at Crisp. Prior to his legal career, James worked as a civil engineer both with BHP and GHD in various project management roles on large industrial projects. That practical experience is now integrated with his current role as a legal services provider.
James regularly makes presentations to clients and to building and construction groups. His dual experience enables him to understand the commercial imperatives of building and construction clients and to respond quickly and effectively.
Crisp Legal
Crisp was established in Sydney in 1995. From the outset we have operated differently to other law firms. We probably always will. It starts with our approach. We look after you as a firm-wide team. There are no interdepartmental conflicts to stand in the way of your best interests. Where ever possible we provide you with a set maximum cost, and we commit to a result and time frame. We are more than happy to back our skills, project manage the complete process and put our reputation on the line.
If you need us in your office or on your site, that’s where we’ll be. (And no that doesn’t just mean sitting in your boardroom instead of ours). We work where you conduct your business because that’s the only place to truly understand the difficulties and the opportunities you face. We also openly support your people – up skilling your front line managers and teams so that they become better at project-managing your legal and quasi-legal requirements. We are uncomplicated to work with, easy to talk to and we make sure that your people are comfortable calling on us when they need to. Information and documentation is simplified and sympathetic to the reader and never bulkier than it needs to be. We make an effort to reduce the size of reports and contracts, not to pad them.
Think of Crisp as a guide who leads clients through the tough and unforgiving environment that is property, development, construction and commercial law, and you will have a good idea of the value of our services. Like any good guide, we know our territory intimately and are intuitively alert to its changes. And like any good guide we use this knowledge to bring our clients safely and swiftly to their destination.
