In a series of articles published in partnership with MacDonnells Law, we talk to the firm's clients about solutions to business problems.

There are two things Clive Skarott AM wants when it comes to legal advice.

The first is whether it adds value to the business or organisation. Does the advice save time for the business owner or contribute to strategic direction? Does it save the business or organisation money in the long run?

The second requirement is possibly even more important: does it give the business owner or board of directors the peace of mind to sleep well at night?

These are all questions Mr Skarott has faced numerous times in his career. Indeed, few local business people have had a greater need for timely, diverse, water-tight legal advice than Mr Skarott.

In his own words, he has turned to one law firm for that advice throughout his career: MacDonnells Law.

RELIABILITY

For years, Mr Skarott has relied on the team at MacDonnells to solve issues as diverse as corporate governance, public scrutiny and accountability, business deals with high stakes, workplace and industrial disputes and more.

From SMEs and start-ups to large government-owned organisations, Mr Skarott says MacDonnells have established an unrivalled reputation for delivering solutions and outcomes.

Currently chair of the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service, he has required legal advice across a range of industries and organisations including ECU Australia (now Queensland Country Credit Union), the James Cook University Dental School, Ergon Energy and Energy Queensland.

But it was during one of the most significant corporate deals in the city’s history that he relied most heavily on the advice provided by MacDonnells Law: the sale of Cairns Airport.

CAIRNS AIRPORT SALE

Mr Skarott was chairman of the Cairns Port Authority at the time, and the sale of this critical public asset was an extremely complex, intensely scrutinised process.

“The sale of Cairns Airport involved very high stakes,” Mr Skarott said. “MacDonnells acted for the Port Authority during that process, and we had to make sure that everything we did was done correctly and in a manner that the people purchasing the asset were comfortable with.

“If there was something we didn’t disclose or something we’d missed, you can be sued for it. MacDonnells ensured we weren’t.

“It’s vital that you have a law firm that has a reputation in the marketplace and is able to fix a problem so you can sleep better at night.

“With MacDonnells it doesn’t matter which partner or person in the firm you talk to, whether it was a partner or an employee, they were always able to add value and fix the issue.

“It didn’t matter what the problem was, you’d always get someone who can fix it.”

SLEEP BETTER!

Providing solutions to business problems is a passion for the team at MacDonnells Law. Think of it as an investment in your business – and a good night’s sleep.