Government Regulatory Law

Trusted advisers

As one of the largest providers of legal services to the Commonwealth, Sparke Helmore’s government lawyers bring deep knowledge of Commonwealth regulatory schemes and the legal and policy frameworks underpinning them.

Our team delivers informed and responsive advice to Commonwealth entities on regulatory matters across a broad range of sectors including agriculture, biosecurity, healthcare, education, environment, energy and resources, planning, social, aged care, childcare and disability services, migration, professional discipline, financial regulation and foreign trade. Our experience supporting Commonwealth regulators extends to:

• advising on legal and policy frameworks, including the Regulatory Powers (Standard Provisions) Act 2014 (Cth)
• conducting reviews of regulatory and legislative schemes, and assisting with the design and implementation of regulatory reform
• assisting with the development and drafting of regulatory legislation and policy
• advising on risk management, administrative processes and decision-making (including monitoring, compliance and enforcement measures such as civil penalties, enforceable undertakings, prosecutions and injunctions), and
• assisting with complex and high-profile regulatory action and related litigation.

Having led major projects involving the introduction, review and reform of regulatory schemes and associated legislation, our lawyers are also entrusted with quality-assuring regulatory schemes, and delivering nation-wide, targeted and tailored training to frontline Commonwealth regulators on legally-defensible decision-making.