Conjure up your image of a typical law firm: would it be an expensive office full of serious suits, tapping pens on desks and billing in six-minute increments? All legal firms are the same, right?
Wrong.
Hynes Legal is a specialist law firm that focuses on the motel, strata and management rights industries. They are a high quality boutique law firm that breaks the traditional perception of a law firm.
Hynes is different. Not in what they do, but in how they do it.
But how can Hynes Legal be any different, readers may ask…
Hynes Legal does not practice in areas of law – they practice in industries. Management rights, motels and strata. This industry specialisation allows Hynes to focus on providing expert advice that helps clients achieve commercially realistic outcomes.
This lack of traditional rigidity encourages collaboration, enhances creativity, and empowers the whole Hynes team to deliver the highest quality legal advice. When combined with innovative technology, this approach also reduces costs for clients.
Frank Higginson, director and head of the body corporate and management rights practice told us, “We focus and specialise on the industries where we are considered the experts, where we have proven experience and where our people have the passion and desire to deliver the best solutions for our clients.
“We specialise in community living (encompassing body corporate, strata, management rights, motels, aged care and retirement living). We have particular expertise in transactions along with more common issues such as dispute resolution and workplace relations, health and safety.
“We can get to the point incredibly quickly because we have so much experience in our chosen industries. That specialisation allows us to provide fee certainty on most matters. We don’t need to guess how things will go, nor have lawyers spending hours learning about something.”
They have the technology and they use it…
Hynes Legal has invested in technology to provide a more efficient legal service. “Early on, we recognised the advantages and opportunities that technology can deliver to our clients. As part of our continuing investment into research and development, we are developing innovative ways to deliver highly efficient, accurate legal solutions in a number of our key industry areas,” said Frank.
The Hynes Legal unique business model…
• An open plan office environment to encourage communication and collaboration for all. Not even the directors have physical offices.
• A Fortitude Valley location – away from Brisbane CBD office rents and overheads.
• Flexible work arrangements allowing part-time and remote work for staff on the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast.
• Having a group of remote and contract lawyers as a mobile resource for larger matters.
• Saying no to work that does not sit within our industry model
Frank said, “We want people to enjoy coming to work. The creation of this environment has achieved that.”
Readers, how does this help you?
Accuracy, speed, efficiency and attention to detail.
Hynes Legal do not have to guess. They know the answers to what you need to know before you know it, and they are continuing to create industry-leading processes and systems to help their clients.
They can offer fixed fees on almost all strata matters.
Frank confirmed: “We can do this because of our expertise, we know how situations play out. In litigation matters we can do that stage-by-stage so you have cost certainty. We can also offer success fees and retainer fees to clients who want to explore those options. Not having a high fixed overhead allows us that flexibility. Whatever your strata issue, we can help.”
Resort News readers would primarily associate Hynes Legal with Frank Higginson and management rights.
Frank Higginson is the director of Hynes Legal and has practiced in property-related matters his entire legal career. Since the late 1990s he has practiced almost exclusively in strata related matters - being management rights and body corporate law.
Frank said: “Hynes Legal is a genuine boutique law firm with a principal focus on the converging themes of density, demographics and technology. The quarter acre block is gone as a lifestyle choice for most. The future is community living in its varied forms and we specialise in them.
“We have the largest team of management rights specialists in Queensland. Management rights is an area that we are passionate about and invest a great deal of time in growing our knowledge base. We regularly present on management rights law and other areas pertinent to the sector via webinar, industry events or a cup of coffee with current and potential clients.
“Our team provides advice to many buyers and sellers of management rights businesses along with counsel to those already in the industry. We handle all aspects of a management rights transaction.”
One of Hynes Legal’s major strengths is its work in motel transactions, leasing and management rights.
Amy O'Donnell has 20 years’ experience in property law, more than half of which has been spent at Hynes Legal.
She said: “My experience is wide ranging, and I have extensive experience in all property matters, but currently, my focus is now very specialised - which is motels, specialised leasing matters and management rights. I have acted for hundreds of buyers and sellers of management rights and motel businesses and help my clients to reach not only the legal solutions but the best commercial outcomes.”
Amy has experience in dealing with motel matters all over Queensland.
“Although our main office is in Brisbane, we enjoy engaging and working with clients all over Queensland. I regularly travel to both the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast to assist clients in a face-to-face manner. We understand that clients, on occasion, prefer face-to-face communication and we enjoy it as well.”
Todd Garsden is a senior associate in the community titles team at Hynes Legal.
He has spent his entire legal career at Hynes Legal after graduating from the Queensland University of Technology with a Law and Finance degree in 2012 after studying on a sporting and academic scholarship.
His primary focus is the firm’s body corporate law practice, but he also assists in many aspects of the management rights practice where the two areas regularly intertwine.
Todd said: “I have always had an interest in the property industry, having been a ‘property trader’ from a relatively young age and enjoy the interesting blend of work that body corporate and management rights matters creates. I am also a very active trader in the share market but work now tends to get in the way of that former university pastime.
“I understand the commercial drivers for clients in their investing activities but also the ones that come from other drivers, such as the emotions that can run hot in strata matters. I have helped clients navigate some extremely emotive issues during my time at Hynes Legal.”
Todd is a familiar face in the industry, presenting regularly to strata managers about body corporate issues and also at the Strata Community Association (Qld) annual conference with the Commissioner for Body Corporate and Community Management about by-law issues.
Hynes Legal areas of expertise include:
• Breach notices
• Contested renewal and variation strategies
• Contractor and employee arrangements
• Defamation
• Dispute resolution
• Licensing advice and OFT investigations
• Partnership agreements and disputes
• Off-the-plan management rights businesses
• Purchases of managements rights businesses
• NRAS and NRAS providers
• Remuneration reviews to market
• Sales of management rights businesses
• Transfer fee disputes
• Varying your management rights agreements
• Workplace health and safety.
Does Hynes Legal have a good track record?
Yes. Clients need to be able to access specialist industry legal advice at the right time and at the right cost. Legal advice that is matched with a strategy to help you achieve what you are looking for.
Frank said: “We have acted in hundreds of contested matters over the years and can guide you strategically around the maze of personalities that can come into play in any management rights matter. If you don’t believe me, here are just a snippet of the more recent five-star Google online rave reviews that we receive from our many satisfied clients…”
Benoit Jenny: “Trying to understand body corporate issues are somewhat complex and at times you just go around in circles asking yourself how did such a trivial matter ruin in our case our dream purchase of our beach holiday unit... A good friend pointed us in the Hynes Legal team’s direction saying they will get results! Todd at Hynes legal whose advice and help has been indispensable to us. His knowledge of the body corporate rules and his legal knowledge enabled us to get results that we were not able to achieve ourselves. They are upfront about their fees avoiding the hidden costs. I could only but recommend their expertise. Now we can just head to the beach and relax!”
Violet Blackstock: “I would say that dealing with Hynes has been one of the best experiences I have had with any legal firm ever! Their service is exactly as good as they promise. From the word go they are professional, quick to respond and deliver what they promise. And once the matter has been completed they don't just say good-bye and you don't hear from them again. They follow up constantly with great tips, advice and useful material to help you in your management rights business. I would highly recommend the team and Hynes Legal to anyone looking for great lawyers when purchasing or selling a management letting rights business.”
Kate Schooneman: “The team at Hynes Legal are very helpful and friendly. I highly recommend them. They made the whole process very easy me. Thank you Hynes Legal.”
Mei Chu Wang: “Frank and his team are professional, they are the best in MR industries. I won't hesitate in recommending their service.”
Jennifer Jovic: “I rang this firm for something they have expertise in and they quickly pointed me in the right direction at no charge. And did it straight away too. Something I think is very uncommon for law firms today.”
Miles Rossiter: “My business partner Alison Brown and I have been in the management rights industry now for 24 years. During this time, we moved from being financiers to the industry to being on site owner operators in a number of large residential buildings and more recently successfully establishing a large off-the-plan complex in Brisbane. We also operate a consultancy business for new entrants to the industry to assist them to set up their own office functions to run as smoothly and as efficiently as possible.
“During this time Frank Higginson and his team have been there professionally for us not only from a legal point of view but also the Body Corporate and Property Occupations Act for any matters that arose. Given our association we are more than happy to recommend Hynes Legal to any person or persons in the industry be they experienced or not as Frank and his team are a cut well above the rest.”
