RW Legal Solutions

20 plus years experience

In all industries

Expert Knowledge

Across commercial & regulatory law

Personalised Service

Working one on one with clients

Business Acumen

We understand your business drivers

Cost Effective

Top-end expertise at competitive rates

Pragmatic Results

We deliver astute solutions

“I am passionate about problem solving, helping my clients achieve optimum business outcomes. I’m all about investing in solutions rather than just throwing money at problems.”

– Robert Williams, Principal

We work with every size of business across every industry, in all aspects of commercial and regulatory law. This allows us to deliver solutions as individual as your business.

You speak directly with our Principal Robert Williams at all times to ensure you get the optimal legal solution to your business dilemmas.

Our business model delivers a blue chip service without big end of town costs.

VIRTUAL GENERAL COUNSEL
Providing commercially pragmatic advice of an experienced General Counsel, when you need it, without the cost of employing one
- Flexible to suit the changing needs of your business
- Supplement your existing in-house resources
- Priority access to our specialist knowledge and experience
- Retainer arrangements to match your needs
Commercial Contracts and Managing Legal Risk
Providing astute advice and solutions to manage the legal risks in your commercial arrangements
- Drafting user friendly agreements to suit your business
- Reviewing contracts to identify your legal risks and develop strategies to get the best outcomes
- Guiding you through business sale or purchase processes from end to end
- Conducting legal risk reviews and providing the roadmap for your business
- Training and mentoring so your staff understand the risks and what they need to do
Competition and Consumer Law
Navigating you through the perilous waters of competition and consumer law
- Dealing with the ACCC – everything from merger approval to allegations of illegal conduct
- Advertising and labelling approvals for all products, services and industries
- Cutting edge training of staff at all levels on the do’s and don’ts while still competing hard
- Guiding you through product recalls and notifications of product related injuries
Employment
From hiring to firing and everything in between
- Proven performance management strategy and process to deliver effective outcomes
- Guiding you through the landmines of redundancies, terminations and disciplinary issues
- Policies, training and investigations for discrimination, harassment and bullying
- The right employment contracts to maximise the protection of your business
- Contractor management from engagement to conclusion
Food Labelling, Advertising and Recalls
A complete solution in this complex area where lots of laws intersect
- Approval of labelling, packaging and advertising claims
- Social media strategies to protect brand reputation
- Client focused training on food, advertising and labelling issues
- Dealing with recalls and product liability claims and disputes to minimise brand damage
- Priority access to food technologists and other experts when required
Privacy and other Regulatory issues
Identifying your regulatory obligations and helping you through the labyrinth
- Effective strategies to ensure you meet privacy obligations with the least effort and cost
- Procedural reviews, policies and investigations of health, safety and environmental issues
- Proven track record in dealing with regulators and interceding so you build an effective relationship with them
- Targeted practical training so your staff get it right every time

Our Principal Robert Williams has worked as a regulator, a big firm lawyer and in-house in large listed and unlisted businesses.

Now for over 5 years, Robert has focused on building his Virtual General Counsel role so his vast experience can benefit small, medium and big businesses in a flexible, meaningful and holistic way. He draws on his experience to focus on finding different solutions to achieve the desired outcomes.

Virtual General Counsel
Using our comprehensive legal and business experience to keep your business successful
Experience as
- Deputy General Counsel of a listed public company
- Senior in-house counsel roles including Acting General Counsel for major listed and unlisted food manufacturing businesses
- Virtual General Counsel for small, medium and large companies for over 5 years
- Virtual Counsel providing full range of legal services for a large listed business to cover its in-house legal team during periods of leave, recruitment or work overflows
Commercial Contracts and Managing Legal Risk
Experienced legal advisor dealing with legal risk management, contract drafting and contract reviews for over 20 years
- Extensive time as Acting General Counsel and Group Manager of Compliance and Regulatory Affairs in the food industry, has given Robert the credentials in identifying and dealing with legal risks to fully underpin the business plans
- Robert’s business acumen has been honed by 4 intense years as Deputy General Counsel with an industrial conglomerate implementing standardised terms and conditions and negotiating commercial contracts
- As Virtual General Counsel for his clients, Robert has provided practical solutions based on a detailed understanding of the legal risks in industries including food, FMCG, manufacturing, construction, labour hire, and aged care
- Robert has detailed ‘shop floor’ knowledge from working in manufacturing, wholesale, retail and service delivery industries across Australia and New Zealand
Competition and Consumer Law
14 years at the ACCC and then 20 plus years working with business – so we understand where the Regulator is coming from
- This is a specialist area and Robert has dealt with the full gamut of issues in businesses of all sizes across a wide variety of industries
- Robert has a proven track record of saving millions of dollars on penalties for companies which got it wrong
- Robert has delivered tailor-made training and workshops for thousands of employees across a raft of different industries to ensure a practical understanding of what can and can’t be done
- Ours is the only competition and consumer compliance program that has been examined and received unqualified approval from the Federal Court
Employment
Practical knowledge of all aspects of employment and employee practices, from working in and advising large and small businesses
- Robert developed and successfully rolled out new employment agreements Australia-wide for different businesses in multiple industries to coincide with the introduction of the Modern Awards
- In small, medium and large businesses Robert has undertaken and overseen investigations into harassment, bullying, discrimination and sexual harassment and ensured appropriate remedial and disciplinary action
- As Deputy General Counsel, Robert developed a practical framework for businesses to implement reasonable performance management, minimising employment risks. We have successfully implemented this approach in numerous small businesses
Food - Labelling, Advertising and Recalls
Advice and assistance to the food industry on labelling, advertising and product recalls is a cornerstone of our experience
- We have worked on all aspects of food regulation with businesses of all sizes for over 20 years
- As Acting General Counsel and Group Manager of Compliance and Regulatory Affairs, Robert approved all labelling, packaging and advertising for one of Australia’s largest food companies
- As Virtual General Counsel we continue to approve labelling, packaging and advertising for food industry clients and engage with food regulators over labelling and recall issues
- Robert has successfully revamped approval processes for packaging, labelling, marketing and advertising for numerous businesses, resulting in reduced costs and quicker processes
Privacy and other Regulatory issues
Extensive experience in providing pragmatic advice backed up by practical policies, processes and procedures to ensure managers can focus their energies on running their business
- We established effective privacy and document retention policies and procedures in businesses with significant holdings of personal information, then trained staff to understand the importance of the policies
- Robert has managed a significant number of health, safety and environment investigations with ICAM accident and other investigation techniques
- We have a track record in reorienting existing policies and developing new polices to reflect a focus on personal and business integrity and regulatory obligations, regardless of the size of the business
- Robert’s practical approach to all aspects of governance and compliance draws strongly on his work as Vice President of the key compliance industry association in Australia and New Zealand

Comprehensive knowhow

Across all types of corporate law

Robert brings his deep legal knowledge together with his extensive practical experience across many industries to guide his clients.

Virtual General Counsel

A new model for legal services

Why have a lawyer on staff when we can do it all for you? Our model marries a wealth of experience with cost effective service delivery and the benefits of only dealing with one lawyer who focuses on the whole of your business’ needs.

Business understanding

We know your drivers

Through his time in business, Robert understands not only what drives your business but also the way Australian industries work and what that means for you.

The Mumpreneur Start-up

The owner of a start-up aged care business sought our advice regarding employment contracts that would offer flexibility as the volume of business grew.

Virtual General Counsel

A Director of a medium sized FMCG business with no in-house legal team approached us seeking a cost effective way to manage their legal risks.

Scary Contract Terms

The owner of an irrigation business came to us because its customers were being scared off by terms and conditions that were too legalistic and over 8 pages long.

Exceptional Service

At all times you deal direct with our Principal, Robert Williams. We know how important a quick turnaround is in business and we deliver. When you need a face to face, we come to you. But we utilise modern technology to the full, so you can always access us no matter where you are.

Solutions Focused

Our focus is always on individual solutions that deliver the right outcome for our client. Sometimes the simplest approach is the best and we always keep the solution as straightforward as possible given the specific circumstances of our client.

Value Driven

We aim to build long-term relationships with our clients. The corner stone of this is delivering value to our clients through exceptional service and pragmatic solutions coupled with realistic costs.

I engaged Robert Williams Legal as legal counsel in 2014. As the General Manager of the Australian affiliate of a US-based Fortune 500 food company, I needed a legal resource for our local business to meet its compliance requirements and corporate standards. We chose Robert for his extensive experience in our industry and ability to effectively engage with the various stakeholders across the business, both locally and internationally. Robert proved to be reliable, commercially-focused, pragmatic and helped us identify and manage compliance-related and contractual matters.

Tom Henriksen

Former General Manager

Robert is a key advisor to PZ Cussons, particularly supporting our food and nutrition brands, Rafferty’s Garden and Five:am Organics. He has strong relationships with the Legal, Corporate Social Responsibility and Executive Teams. Robert has provided pragmatic and tailored advice on a range of legal, regulatory compliance and crisis management issues. Robert’s advice also considers the range of stakeholders, strategic and commercial imperatives; testament to his experience working in-house and with Regulators.

Karena Reid

General Counsel, Company Secretary and Head of CSR - PZ Cussons Australia Pty Ltd

Robert’s professionalism, advice and expertise was a tremendous help in establishing our new aged care company. I especially appreciated Robert’s dedicated and caring approach and his ability to explain and implement the all-important legal aspects of starting up a business. It is a great comfort to know our legal work is compliant, accurate and appropriate to the context we operate in. I would highly recommend Robert to any business requiring sound legal and regulatory advice and solutions

Christina Harlamb

CEO, Focus Care Solutions

Our relationship with Robert is highly valued by us, not just for the legal advice and solutions he provides us, but also for his keen interest in understanding our business and our products within the wider food industry - and for our ongoing business success. With his experience and knowledge in commercial and consumer law applicable to our agribusiness, Robert has helped us greatly with drafting user-friendly terms and conditions, as well as providing easily understood explanations and pragmatic advice in contract reviews. Beyond that, he uses all of his expertise to identify legal risks for our business and provide us with clear solutions.

Ian Spencer

General Manager, Ambos

I would still be fighting with the other shareholders if it wasn’t for Robert’s pragmatic advice on what to focus on and his strategy for bringing the negotiations to a successful conclusion. He was great at explaining in straightforward terms the practical implications of what the other side was proposing.

Phil C

Former Business Owner