Amanda was admitted to practice in 2009 and has been working at Frenkel Partners in the commercial law area since 2010, becoming a partner in 2019.

Amanda’s experience in commercial law has been across a broad range of matters, including property, leasing, corporate and trust structures, commercial contracts, sales of assets and businesses, wills, powers of attorney and deceased estates.

Amanda has assisted with small and large transactions, working with businesses and individuals, and has worked with a wide range of clients across different industries.

Expertise:

• Commercial contracts (including loan agreements, terms and conditions, sales of assets and businesses)
• Corporate and trust structures (including shareholders agreements and unit holders agreements)
• Deceased estates (including wills, powers of attorney, probate & letters of administration, estate Administration)
• Leasing
• Property (including conveyancing, related party transactions, and complex property transactions) 

Mark originally began his professional career as a chartered accountant, assisting and advising a broad range of clients and businesses across various commercial issues. 

His work encompasses a broad range of areas, including property, leasing, construction, wills and estates, contracts, shareholder/partnership/joint venture matters, employment, and business transactions. Mark’s work involves the provision of advice and assistance in a range of transactions, disputes and other matters concerning these areas of law across various industries.

Mark’s considerable and extensive experience has enabled him to develop a pragmatic and practical approach for his clients, whether assistance is required to complete a transaction, resolve a dispute, draft a contract, or just navigate the various issues that arise.

Expertise:

• Business transactions
• Dispute resolution
• Employment
• Leasing
• Property
• Trusts
• Wills & estates

James is a partner who works across our teams in litigation and dispute resolution, commercial, and workplace and employment. James assists individuals, family groups, small to medium enterprises as well as national organisations.   

His extensive experience in litigation stretches across all jurisdictions throughout Australia and in all courts and tribunals — whether it be VCAT, NCAT, the AAT or the Supreme Court and the appellate courts. 

James has acted in a broad range of disputes, including contractual disputes, property, trusts, partnerships, companies, employment, debts, insurance, building and construction, banking, fraud, professional negligence and insolvency and bankruptcy-related matters.

As well as his litigation experience, James maintains a healthy commercial practice and assists many sole traders, start-ups, small businesses and national organisations across a wide variety of industries, including a speciality in the sports and entertainment industries. 

James has advised on numerous sales and purchases of businesses ranging from start-ups to companies worth in excess of $100M. He has also advised clients across a wide variety of commercial agreements, from international exclusive distribution agreements to service, supply, dealership and licence agreements. James prides himself on meeting set deadlines to ensure clients are able to capitalise on opportunities. 

James also advises companies and individuals in all types of workplace and employment matters from front end to back end, including drawing and reviewing employment and contractor agreements, policies and procedures, and employee share schemes. He advises on workplace investigations and complaints, and termination and redundancy scenarios, including advice and representation in unfair dismissal and general protections applications at the Fair Work Commission and Federal Court. 

James enjoys balancing his litigation and commercial practices and focuses on early identification of critical issues and delivery of prompt, practical and commercial outcomes for his clients. 

Expertise:

• Commercial
• Litigation & dispute resolution 
• Restructuring & insolvency
• Workplace & employment 

Accreditations & memberships:

• Member of the Law Institute of Victoria

Enio was admitted as a legal practitioner in 1991 and has been continuously engaged in private practice since that time. He has been with Frenkel Partners since April 2016 as one of its Special Counsel, having previously been a senior associate and then partner at another Melbourne CBD firm for over 20 years. 

Enio predominantly practices in general commercial law, real estate and private estate, and finance and securities. His practice and expertise span corporate and commercial, corporate governance, employment, real property, wills and estates, finance and securities transactions and advice. 

Enio is committed to understanding and supporting all of his clients to achieve their aims and outcomes by providing efficient, reliable and valuable advice. Enio provides true partnership to his clients, delivering legal services calmly, carefully, and always focused on their needs, mindful that it is their matter.

Expertise:

• Corporations and corporate governance, trusts
• Employment
• Finance and securities
• General commercial
• Real and personal property, including commercial and industrial real property leasing and duties, and taxes relating to real property transactions
• Wills and estates

Accreditations & memberships:

• Member of the Law Institute of Victoria

Joanna joined Frenkel Partners in 2006. She is a partner of the firm, with a focus predominantly in property and commercial law.

Joanna has strong commercial and technical expertise and significant experience in managing and evaluating risk in complex environments, and has a proven track record in delivering results and practical legal solutions.

Acting across a variety of industry sectors, Joanna supports business clients, vendors, purchasers, landlords, tenants and developers in a diverse range of matters and takes an active interest in her client’s concerns, development and growth.

Joanna also works closely alongside some of Melbourne’s leading real estate firms. 

Expertise: 

• Business transactions including business sales and purchases
• Commercial and retail leasing for landlords and tenants
• Commercial, residential and industrial sale and acquisition of freehold, including portfolio transactions
• General commercial advice, including terms of trade, distribution, agency, confidentiality, employment relations, information technology and privacy law
• Negotiation and drafting of stakeholder agreements, including partnership, shareholder and joint venture agreements
• Subdivision and development of commercial, industrial and residential land
• Succession Planning, wills and complex estate planning 

Accreditations & memberships:

• Bachelor of Economics
• Bachelor of Laws (Second Class Honours)
• Member of the Law Institute of Victoria

Julia is a senior legal practitioner who fundamentally practices in the commercial and property sector. She looks after a variety of commercial and property-related matters, including but not limited to commercial and residential acquisitions and disposals of property; provision of commercial structuring and asset protection advice; preparation of bare trusts and related trust matters; preparation of shareholders agreements and unitholders agreements; acquisitions and disposals of businesses and assets; leasing and licencing; off-the-plan property transactions and related construction matters; duty exemption property related matters such as partition agreements; property transfers from trustees to beneficiaries; spousal transfers of property; and, a variety of contract preparation, reviews and negotiations. 

Julia also looks after estate planning and administration matters, including preparation of wills, power of attorney documents, survivorship and transmission applications, probate and estate distribution. She also manages the immigration department within the firm.

Julia’s strengths are facilitating transactions from end-to-end, understanding client needs, maintaining efficiency, building long-term relationships and going above and beyond to overcome challenges.

Expertise:

• Commercial law
• Estate planning and estate administration
• Immigration law
• Property law

Accreditations & memberships:

• Member of the Law Institute of Victoria
• Migration Institute of Australia