Speak with a lawyer

Builtto hold.

Aldine & Rook is a business law boutique. We design the legal structure your company stands on, then keep it sound as you hire, raise, grow, and one day sell.

Speak with a lawyer Explore our services
Partner-ledOn every matter
Fixed feesQuoted within 48 hours
Sydney & MelbourneActing Australia-wide
Where we work in your businessTap a service or a box
Diagram of a typical company structure: founders and an investor own a holding company, which owns an operating company and an IP company. The operating company has employees, a landlord and customers. A buyer may acquire the holding company. 72% 28% Shareholders' agreement 100% 100% Acquisition Licence Employment Lease Terms of trade FoundersOrdinary shares InvestorPreference shares HoldCo Pty LtdHolding company BuyerFuture sale IP Co Pty LtdBrand & code OpCo Pty LtdTrading company EmployeesStaff & executives LandlordOffice or shopfront Customers & suppliersTrading partners

Every business is a structure of owners, companies and contracts. Choose a service to see which parts of it we look after.

Drawing Typical owner-led group
Scale Not to scale
Rev. 2026

A boutique means fewer lawyers and more attention. Eleven of us, all business law, and no juniors learning on your file.

Founded
2011
Lawyers
11, including 4 partners
Transactions closed
1,200+
Matters on fixed fees
8 in 10
Reply time
Within one business day

Services

Ten rooms, one building. Each service is run by a partner who practises nothing else, with a typical timeframe shown so you can plan.

Company setup & structuring

Choosing the right entities from day one: companies, holding structures, trusts, and the restructure before an investor arrives.

Typically 1 to 2 weeks

Shareholder & partnership agreements

The rules between owners, agreed before anyone needs them. Vesting, leavers, deadlock, and exits.

Typically 2 to 3 weeks

Contracts

Drafting and reviewing terms of trade, supply, licensing and SaaS agreements.

Typically 3 to 10 days

Buying or selling a business

Heads of terms, due diligence, sale agreements and handover.

Typically 6 to 12 weeks

Mergers & acquisitions

Share and asset deals, private equity, and management buy-outs.

Typically 3 to 6 months

Business disputes

Shareholder conflict, contract claims and debt recovery, resolved early where possible.

From 2 weeks to settle

Employment

Contracts, executive packages, restraints, policies and terminations.

Typically 3 to 7 days

IP & trademarks

Searches, filings, assignments, licences and brand disputes.

Filing in 48 hours

Ongoing counsel

A partner on call for a fixed monthly fee. Contract templates, board support and quick answers, with no invoice surprises. Most clients who start with one project end up here.

Monthly retainer

Not sure which room?

Tell us what is happening. We will point you to the right partner in one call.

Free 20-minute call

Industries

We learn how your sector makes money before advising on how it should be structured. Here is where our work was in the last three years.

Technology & SaaS
212
E-commerce & retail
171
Professional services
140
Hospitality
111
Construction & property
97
Health & allied health
76
Creative & media
55

Matters opened per sector, 2023 to 2026.

Recent matters

A$62m

Sale of a 38-venue hospitality group to a private equity buyer

ServiceSelling a business
Acted forVendors
Duration11 weeks
PartnerE. Rook
6 wks

Co-founder deadlock settled without a day in court

ServiceBusiness disputes
Acted forFounder
SectorSaaS
PartnerD. Aldine
14

Trademark portfolio filed across 14 countries for a D2C skincare brand

ServiceIP & trademarks
Acted forBrand owner
Duration5 months
PartnerP. Venkatesan
A$18m

Group restructure ahead of a Series A for a logistics platform

ServiceCompany structuring
Acted forCompany
Entities4 reorganised
PartnerE. Rook
9 sites

Retail lease portfolio renegotiated for a national café chain

ServiceCommercial leases
Acted forTenant
Saving18% on rent
PartnerM. Hale

Team

You will work directly with one of these four people. We keep the client list short so we can keep that promise.

ER

Eleanor Rook

Managing Partner. M&A and business sales.
DA

Daniel Aldine

Partner. Disputes and shareholder conflict.
PV

Priya Venkatesan

Partner. IP, trademarks and technology.
MH

Marcus Hale

Special Counsel. Employment and leases.

How it works

Four steps from first call to finished work. You will know the price before step three begins.

1

Free first call

Twenty minutes with a partner to understand what is happening.

Same week
2

Scope and fixed fee

A written proposal with a price that only changes if you approve it.

Within 48 hours
3

The work

Your partner leads, reports on your schedule, and answers the phone.

Partner-led
4

Aftercare

An annual check that your structure and contracts still fit the business.

Included
They drafted our shareholders' agreement when we were three people in a garage. Nine years later, the same partner walked us through the sale.
Co-founder, supply-chain software company

Insights

Short, practical notes for owners, written by our partners. Each one is readable in a coffee break.

Shareholder agreements
6 min read

Five clauses every shareholders' agreement needs before your first hire

 Selling a business
8 min read

What a buyer's lawyers will check in due diligence, and how to be ready

 Company structure
5 min read

Why a holding company protects more than your tax position

Speak with a lawyer this week.

The first twenty minutes are free and come with no obligation. A partner reads every request and replies within one business day.

Sydney+61 2 0000 0000 Melbourne+61 3 0000 0000 Emailhello@aldinerook.com.au
HoursMon to Fri, 8am to 6pm
Consultation requestTakes about a minute
Confidential. Nothing you send creates a lawyer-client relationship until we both agree terms.

Request sent.

A partner will reply within one business day.