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Corporate Lawyer in Melbourne
With over 20 years of experience, including senior in-house legal roles across Australia and the Asia-Pacific, Sumita Dass understands that good corporate advice must make commercial sense, not just legal sense. As Founder and Principal Solicitor of Summit Legal Services in Mount Waverley, Sumita helps business owners navigate shareholder agreements, company structures, corporate governance and complex contracts. Her approach is to understand how your business operates, identify risks before they become costly problems and provide advice you can put into practice.
What Is a Corporate Lawyer?
A corporate lawyer helps business owners manage the legal responsibilities, risks and decisions involved in running a company. This includes shareholder agreements, corporate governance, business restructuring and disputes between directors.
At Summit Legal Services, Principal Solicitor Sumita Dass draws on her corporate and in-house legal experience to help business owners understand not only what the law requires, but how each decision could affect their business, finances and future growth.
Signs Your Business Needs a Corporate Lawyer
Bringing in a new shareholder, appointing a director or restructuring your company can seem like a straightforward business decision. But have you considered who becomes personally responsible, how control might change or what happens if the business relationship breaks down?
At Summit Legal Services, Principal Solicitor Sumita Dass brings over 20 years of legal experience, including senior in-house roles across Australia and the Asia-Pacific. Having worked from within businesses, Sumita understands that legal advice needs to consider commercial realities, not just what the law allows.
Whether you’re reviewing shareholder rights, managing directors’ duties or preparing for business growth, Sumita helps you identify risks, understand your options and make informed decisions before problems become more expensive to resolve.
20+ Years
Legal Experience
2 Countries
Admitted in Australia and India
Can You Resolve a Company Dispute Without a Lawyer?
Not every disagreement needs legal intervention. Some issues can be resolved through an honest conversation, a review of company documents or a written agreement between the people involved. The important question is whether resolving the immediate problem could create a bigger risk later.
Before deciding how to proceed, consider these factors:
Nature of the disagreement: A simple administrative mistake may be easy to correct. A disagreement over ownership, profits or decision-making authority can be much harder to resolve.
Shareholder relationships: If shareholders disagree about the direction of the company, check what your shareholder agreement says about voting rights, decision-making and dispute resolution.
Directors’ responsibilities: If the dispute affects company finances, conflicts of interest or directors’ duties, getting legal advice early may help you avoid personal exposure.
Risk of escalation: If someone threatens legal proceedings, refuses to follow an agreement or demands that you sign new terms, consider getting advice before taking further action.
Sumita Dass understands that business owners want solutions, not unnecessary legal costs. Drawing on her experience working within businesses, she helps clients assess the legal and commercial risks before deciding whether negotiation, a formal agreement or further legal action is appropriate.
Our Corporate Legal Services
- Contract Reviews
A contract may look reasonable until a payment is missed, a supplier fails to deliver or you need to end the agreement. Sumita Dass reviews the clauses that matter most to your business, including liability, indemnities, payment terms and termination rights. Drawing on her in-house legal experience, she helps you understand what you’re agreeing to and where changes may be needed before you sign.
- Shareholder and Director Agreements
What happens if a business partner wants to leave, shareholders disagree or a director makes a decision others oppose? Sumita helps business owners establish clear agreements covering ownership, voting rights, responsibilities and exit arrangements. The aim is to reduce uncertainty before disagreements threaten the company’s operations.
- Corporate Disputes
Disagreements between directors or shareholders can affect business decisions, working relationships and company finances. Sumita helps clients understand their rights, review relevant company documents and assess their options for resolving disputes. Her approach considers the legal position alongside the commercial consequences of each available option.
Frequently Asked Questions About Corporate Lawyers
A corporate lawyer advises businesses on their legal rights, responsibilities, and obligations. They handle drafting and reviewing contracts, business structuring, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, and commercial disputes.
Yes. Small businesses face many of the same legal risks as large corporations. Engaging a lawyer early to set up proper structures and contracts can prevent expensive disputes and liabilities down the track.
The terms are often used interchangeably. Generally, corporate law focuses on the lifecycle and structure of a company (e.g., formation, mergers, shareholder rights), while commercial law tends to focus on the day-to-day transactions and contracts of a business (e.g., terms of trade, consumer law).
Costs vary depending on the complexity of the work. Some services, like standard contract reviews, may be offered at a fixed fee, while complex litigation is typically billed hourly. We provide transparent cost estimates upfront.
Yes. Corporate lawyers are skilled in alternative dispute resolution (like mediation) and can represent your business in court if litigation becomes necessary to resolve a commercial dispute.
Bring your current financial statements, copies of existing commercial leases, key employee contracts, details of any intellectual property, and your company register. This allows us to assess the readiness of the business for sale.
Ready to Get Started?
Protect your business and ensure your legal foundations are solid. Contact our Mount Waverley team today.