Property Law
The full property practice, partner-led, since 1989.
End-to-end property law advice across conveyancing, development, planning, strata and subdivisions. From reviewing the contract to completing the transaction, and managing the regulatory, dispute or Court-side issues that sometimes come with it.
Overview
One practice, four capabilities.
Property law sits at the centre of the LAS practice. We act for owner-occupiers, investors, developers, hotel groups and businesses across the full spectrum of property work: from contract reviews on single residential purchases and sales, through to commercial acquisitions, disposals, multi-stage development pipelines and the Land and Environment Court appeals that may accompany them.
Our approach is to keep matters moving and the advice commercial. Documents are carefully reviewed and tightly drafted; timetables are managed; issues are identified early; and brokers, lenders, accountants, surveyors, consultants and counterparties are coordinated so the property component of any transaction does not become the bottleneck.
Because LAS is also a commercial firm, our property work rarely sits in isolation. It is often connected with the business sale, licence transfer, loan documentation, leasing arrangement, development approval, shareholder issue or dispute that surrounds the asset, allowing us to manage the broader commercial picture, not just the conveyance.
Capabilities
Where the practice goes deep.
- 01
Transactional
Conveyancing
Residential and commercial property transactions, contract review, exchange and PEXA settlement across NSW, ACT, QLD, VIC, SA and WA. The highest-volume desk at LAS, fixed-fee on standard residential matters.
Read the conveyancing practice page - 02
Approvals
Development & Planning
Development applications, modifications, planning controls, review of determinations, and Land and Environment Court appeals. We work with architects, planners and councils to keep projects progressing, and defend the right outcome where it matters.
Speak with a partner about a development matter - 03
Title structure
Strata & Subdivision
Strata and land subdivision documentation: schemes, by-laws, building management statements, and the title work that comes with completed lots. Including the strata-side advice on developer transitions and dispute resolution.
Speak with a partner about a subdivision - 04
Contested
Property Disputes
Boundary and easement disputes, defective title issues, off-the-plan rescissions, vendor warranty claims, and strata disputes. Resolved through court, NCAT, mediation or negotiation: the right forum for the matter.
Read the disputes practice page
Where we go deep
The matters in our diary every week.
A boutique property practice sees recurring patterns most generalists miss. These are the matters that come through the door most often, and where pattern recognition translates directly into a faster, cleaner outcome for the client.
- Residential purchases & sales
- Commercial property transactions
- Off-the-plan contracts & sunset clauses
- Section 66W certificates
- Strata title issues & defect history
- Land subdivision & strata schemes
- Development applications & LEC appeals
- Mortgages, security & PPSR
- Foreign investment & FIRB
- First home buyer concessions
- PEXA settlement workspaces
- Post-exchange dispute management
The development journey
From site identification to OC and settlement.
Every development project moves through a predictable sequence of legal milestones. We act across all of them, from the first title search through to the last off-the-plan settlement, so the legal side of the project is never the bottleneck.
Brief us on a project- 01
Site identification & due diligence
Title, planning controls, contributions, encumbrances, services, environmental constraints, market viability. The site is either right or it isn't. We'd rather you walk away early than discover it after exchange.
- 02
Acquisition
Contract negotiation and exchange of the development site, including any conditional structures (DA-conditional, finance-conditional). Settlement of the freehold ahead of the development phase.
- 03
DA preparation & lodgment
Coordination with architects, planners, engineers and consultants on the DA documentation. Lodgment with the consent authority and management of council requests for additional information.
- 04
Approval & conditions
Consent grant, conditions of approval, contributions and Section 7.11/7.12 negotiations. Where conditions are unworkable or contributions are unreasonable, modification or LEC merit appeal.
- 05
Construction phase
Builder contract negotiation, sub-contract coordination, construction certificates, insurance, and the legal-side oversight that prevents problems from compounding through the build.
- 06
Strata registration
Strata plan preparation and registration, by-laws and the Building Management Statement (where the development includes commercial-residential mix). Registration triggers the next stage.
- 07
Off-the-plan releases
Marketing campaign, disclosure pack preparation, exchange of off-the-plan contracts, deposit holding arrangements, and ongoing compliance through to construction completion.
- 08
Completion & settlement
Occupation Certificate, completion of the strata registration, settlement of the off-the-plan contracts in tranches, transfer to incoming purchasers, and the post-completion warranty period.
Begin a property matter
Ready to act on the property?
Whether it's a contract review before exchange, a development application, a subdivision, or a contested matter, LAS Lawyers can run the full property side of the matter.
Or call (02) 9280 4599