Profile

Leath Nicholson graduated with a Bachelor of Economics (Honours), and Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Master of Laws (Commercial Law) from Monash University. He was admitted to practice in Victoria in 1997 and since then has practised extensively in corporate and commercial law and dispute resolution.

Background

Leath was a solicitor at Barker Gosling from 1997 to 2001. From 2001 to 2007 he was a Partner in the Corporate and Commercial Division at TressCox Lawyers, a national law firm. In 2007 and 2008 he worked briefly in the corporate sector. He co-founded the firm now known as Nicholson Ryan in 2008.

Experience

Leath has acted for a range of clients, including private companies, ASX listed public companies and government agencies.

Primary Areas of Practice

• Corporations Law
• Financial Services
• Sales of Companies & Businesses
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Intellectual Property
• Information Technology
• Insolvency & Corporate Reconstructions
• Commercial Disputes

Professional Membership

• Law Institute of Victoria

Education

• LLB/BCom (Hons) and LLM. (Commercial)

Profile

Shannon has extensive experience in all aspects of corporate and commercial law with particular depth in Corporations Act matters relating to corporate governance, capital raisings and mergers and acquisitions as well as ASX matters.

Shannon has also practised extensively in the Australian financial services sector and provides detailed advice and guidance on ASIC licensing requirements and managed investment schemes.

Shannon’s practice areas are highly regulated with detailed regulations and rules, which are constantly changing and require constant vigilance and communication with her clients.

Background

Shannon was a partner at Tress Cox before co-founding the firm now known as Nicholson Ryan in 2008.

Areas of Law

Whilst experienced across a range of commercial law matters, the areas of expertise that Shannon focuses on are:

• Corporations Act
• ASX listing rules
• Capital raising (public and private)
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Financial services and managed investment schemes
• Joint ventures
• Bitcoin transactions
• Cryptocurrencies
• Cryptocurrency exchanges
• Crowdfunding
• Crowdfunding AFSL licenses

Profile

Lee is a highly experienced corporate and commercial lawyer.  He has a passion for creating positive outcomes for his clients in a no-nonsense and down-to-earth way.

Background

Lee was admitted to practice in 1996 with a Bachelor of Laws (Monash) and, subsequently, a Master of Laws from the University of Melbourne.  He has over 22 years’ experience in corporate and commercial law gained with international, national and boutique law firms including 12 months as in-house counsel at ExxonMobil and 2 years as a Partner with Middletons (now K&L Gates LLP)

Experience and Expertise

Lee’s practice involves transactional work as well as corporate, commercial and governance advice for a variety of public and private businesses – including a number of clients in the digital media, technology, financial services and property sectors.

He has particular expertise in relation to the legal and regulatory issues relevant to ASX-listed entities

Primary Areas of Practice

• Mergers and Acquisitions (private treaty, regulated public company) takeovers and schemes of arrangement;
• ASX Listings (IPOs, reverse takeovers, recapitalisations, due diligence and transaction documents)
• Capital Raisings (seed raisings, private placements, entitlement issues, convertible securities)
• Regulatory Compliance (Notices of Meeting, Corporations Act and Listing Rules advice)
• Company Secretarial services
• Joint Ventures, Strategic Alliances and Partnerships;
• Shareholder Agreements

Professional Membership

• Law Institute of Victoria

Education

• BA/LLB
• LLM

Profile

Andrew is a senior commercial lawyer with degrees in both law and science (majoring in earth science). After initially working as a geologist, Andrew qualified as a lawyer and gained over 29 years’ of experience in mergers and acquisitions and advisory matters while acting for a wide range of industry clients, including exploration and mining companies, rolling stock manufacturers and maintenance providers and major landlords.

Background

Andrew is a graduate of Monash University (B.Sc (Hons), LLB). Andrew was admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of Victoria in April 1989.

Andrew has practised exclusively as a commercial transactional/advisory lawyer since commencing practice.

Experience and Expertise

After admission to practise, Andrew gained significant exposure to major mergers and acquisitions matters involving the disposal of various large-scale manufacturing businesses. With a background in earth science, Andrew soon focused on exploration and mining mergers and acquisitions matters and developed a practice acting for listed public mining companies involved in projects across Australia and in South Africa. Andrew has acted for high net worth individuals, some of the country’s largest privately held mining companies and listed public companies. Andrew’s expertise includes the preparation and negotiation of complex commercial transaction documents relating to major projects.

Primary Areas of Practice

• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Corporations Act and ASX Listing Rules advice, including IPO’s, rights issues and compliance advice
• Competition and Consumer Act advice
• Franchising Code of Conduct advice
• Retail and commercial leasing advice

Professional Membership

• Law Institute of Victoria

Education

• Bachelor of Laws – 1989
• Bachelor of Science – Honours (Earth Science) – 1983

Profile

James is a commercial litigator with a distinctive combination of barrister and solicitor experience, who advises clients on complex commercial disputes and regulatory matters across Federal, Victorian, and interstate courts. Known for his analytical rigour and strategic focus, he delivers pragmatic, commercially driven solutions that align legal outcomes with client objectives.

Background and Experience

James brings a unique perspective to commercial litigation, drawing on his background as both an independent barrister and a senior associate at leading law firms, complemented by pre-legal experience in corporate advisory.

At the Victorian Bar, James developed an independent practice spanning equity and trusts, contractual disputes, building and construction, insolvency, directors’ duties, consumer law, and financial services litigation, while also representing clients in regulatory proceedings. Prior to the Bar, he practised in the commercial litigation teams at Herbert Smith Freehills and Mills Oakley, where he was involved in high-value commercial disputes, regulatory investigations, and class actions. He also gained specialist experience at Galbally & O’Bryan defending clients charged with Corporations Act offences.

Before entering legal practice, James worked as a corporate advisor in Sydney and in international markets, specialising in mergers and acquisitions and capital raisings. James’ transactional background informs his practical understanding of commercial drivers and stakeholder priorities in complex disputes.

Primary Areas of Practice

• Corporations law
• Financial services law
• Regulatory investigations and enforcement
• Consumer law
• Shareholder disputes
• Equity, trusts and fiduciary duties
• Contractual disputes

Professional Memberships

• Law Institute of Victoria

Education

• LLB (Hons 1)
• MA
• BCL (Distinction) (Oxon)

Profile

Adrian is a Senior Associate within Nicholson Ryan’s Commercial & Corporate Advisory / Financial Services team. He is passionate about providing strategic and pragmatic advice to his clients to assist them in achieving their desired outcomes.

Background

Adrian graduated from Deakin University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts and was admitted to practice in early 2019. He joined Nicholson Ryan Lawyers in 2023 as a commercial lawyer and has since gained considerable experience working across a wide range of commercial matters with clients in various industries.

 Experience and Expertise

Since being admitted in 2019, Adrian has primarily practiced in general commercial law, including mergers and acquisitions and corporate advisory. He has worked with both listed and unlisted companies across a broad range of corporate and commercial matters. Additionally, Adrian has considerable experience in franchising and commercial leasing, having worked with some of Australia’s most recognizable brands in the pharmacy, commercial gym, retail fashion, and food industries.

Primary Areas of Practice

• Financial Services and Managed Investment Schemes
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Shareholder and Joint Venture arrangements
• Service and Licencing arrangements
• Regulatory Compliance
• Commercial Leasing
• Franchising

Education

• LLB / BA – Deakin University

Profile

Summar is a Senior Associate in Nicholson Ryan Lawyers’ Dispute Resolution team.

She is an experienced commercial litigator who advises clients on complex commercial, contractual, corporate, insolvency, construction, employment, regulatory and cross-jurisdictional disputes.

Summar brings a practical, strategic and commercially focused approach to dispute resolution. She works closely with clients, counsel and experts to progress matters efficiently, manage litigation risk, maintain clear communication and achieve commercially sensible outcomes.

Summar has acted in high-profile, high-value and time-sensitive disputes in Australia and internationally. She is diligent, determined and responsive in the conduct of her matters, with experience across litigation, negotiated outcomes, mediation, trial preparation, urgent applications, regulatory investigations and large-scale discovery.

Background and Experience

Summar was admitted to practice in Victoria in December 2011. Before joining Nicholson Ryan Lawyers, she practised in Australia and internationally, including roles with SBA Law, Aitken Partners, Herbert Smith Freehills and DLA Piper Middle East.

Summar has acted for companies, directors, insolvency practitioners, professional service providers, developers, contractors, retail/commercial landlords and tenants, lenders, high-net-worth individuals and private clients in a broad range of commercial disputes.

Her representative experience includes:

• acting in Supreme Court and County Court proceedings involving contractual disputes, property disputes, agency commission claims, franchise disputes, professional negligence claims and disputed commercial arrangements;
• acting in Federal Court proceedings involving misleading or deceptive conduct, Australian Consumer Law claims and shareholder oppression issues;
• acting in construction and infrastructure disputes, including disputes concerning retention monies, defects, delay costs, pre-bid agreements, termination events and major civil project arrangements;
• acting in retail leasing and commercial leasing disputes, including claims concerning outgoings, operating expenses, subleases and defaulting tenants;
• acting for liquidators in Supreme Court proceedings involving voidable transactions, alleged breaches of directors’ duties and related cross-jurisdictional disputes;
• acting in insolvency and restructuring matters, including preference claims, Deeds of Company Arrangement, bankruptcy proceedings, winding up applications and disputes concerning secured and unsecured debts;
• assisting with regulatory and compulsory production matters, including ASIC notices, Fair Work Ombudsman notices, Standing Order 52 requests and document production exercises involving privilege, confidentiality and public interest immunity issues;
• managing large-scale and document-intensive litigation, including discovery projects involving substantial volumes of documents and electronic review platforms;
• acting in international disputes in the United Arab Emirates, including multi-million-dollar employment, construction and commercial disputes before the local courts; and
• advising on cross-border commercial disputes involving Australian and overseas parties, including matters requiring coordination with foreign lawyers and local advocates.

Summar’s international experience includes working with DLA Piper Middle East’s onshore litigation team in Dubai, where she worked on disputes before the local courts and alongside international arbitration and litigation practitioners. Her experience across common law and civil law jurisdictions assists her to approach disputes with a broad commercial perspective.

Areas of Practice

• Commercial litigation and dispute resolution
• Contractual disputes
• Corporate and shareholder disputes
• Insolvency and restructuring
• Directors’ duties and recovery proceedings
• Construction and infrastructure disputes
• Regulatory investigations and compulsory notices
• Employment disputes
• Retail and commercial leasing disputes
• Australian Consumer Law
• Franchise disputes
• Professional negligence
• Cross-border and multi-jurisdictional disputes

Professional Memberships

• Law Institute of Victoria
• The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

Education

• Master of Laws, Monash University — Distinction
• International Arbitration Practice, The College of Law — Distinction
• Master of Interpreting and Translation Studies (Legal Texts), Monash University — Distinction
• Bachelor of Laws, Victoria University
• Bachelor of Arts, Victoria University