Delivered by leading practitioners, this is an essential update for lawyers seeking to strengthen their commercial drafting and deal structuring and negotiation skills. Learn how to structure business sale and purchase agreements, manage warranties and indemnities and draft clear, enforceable contracts that anticipate risk and avoid disputes. You will also gain guidance on preparing trust deeds.

Presenters

Julika Wahlmann-Smith, Partner, Hesketh Henry
Julika advises on a wide range of corporate and commercial law issues, including reviewing and advising on mergers and acquisitions, commercial contracts, terms of trade and distribution agreements, foreign investment, advertising campaigns, consumer law, and intellectual property rights. Julika is recognised as a Next Generation Partner by The Legal 500.

Aasha Foley, Managing Director & Lawyer, Foley Douglas
Aasha Foley is an experienced and specialized general practice and commercial lawyer, renowned for her skills in contract drafting, interpretation, and negotiation. As the Managing Director of Foley Douglas, she leads and mentors a team across a wide range of practice areas, delivering strategic, practical, and tailored legal advice through contract creation, development, and negotiation. With extensive experience—particularly in property, business and commercial law—her expertise spans private and corporate relationships, ownership, investment, mergers and acquisitions, and the commercialisation of intellectual property, trade, and commerce. Aasha understands the complexities involved in crafting clear, effective, and enforceable contract terms. Aasha’s approach to documentation focuses on truly ‘knowing your client’, understanding their needs, anticipating outcomes, and mitigating risks to protect their interests; including future-proofing relationships and unlocking opportunities. Known as a 'contract specialist’, she combines strategic thinking, problem-solving and interpretive skills to produce clear, concise, and practical agreements. As a leader, mentor, and practitioner, Aasha is passionate about helping her team and clients draft precise, balanced terms that position them for success. In her day-to-day role, she manages leadership, operational logistics, and people. Her ability to identify opportunities and anticipate outcomes makes her an insightful, pragmatic legal advisor and dedicated business owner.

Ben Hickson, Partner, Hesketh Henry
Ben is a Partner in the Corporate and Commercial Team. Originally trained in Hesketh Henry’s commercial property team, Ben re-joined the firm’s commercial group after seven years working as a corporate lawyer at international law firms in Southeast Asia. Ben advises on a range of corporate and commercial transactions including merger and acquisitions transactions, foreign investment, joint venture arrangements, corporate governance matters, commercial licencing, and other business regulatory issues. He has been recognised as a recommended lawyer by The Legal 500.

Claudia Shan, Partner, Avan Cier Legal
Claudia Shan is a partner and head of legal and international compliance of Cone Marshall, a New Zealand law firm, which specializes in international and domestic trust, wealth and tax planning. She has also worked for two leading offshore law firms in the Channel Islands and was at the time enrolled and admitted to practice as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales. Prior to entering practice in a leading New Zealand law firm, she worked in the Auckland office of Ernst & Young, focusing on tax. Claudia specializes in all aspects of trust, private client and international wealth planning. Claudia has advised a wide range of clients, both residents and non-residents, on local and foreign trusts, offshore fund repatriation, tax residency, asset protection, FATCA, Common Reporting Standards, international tax and trust law issues. She has advised many of the leading international trust companies, high net worth individuals, private companies, family businesses, multi-national banks, and globally renowned financial services organisations. She is a member of STEP. She has published a number of articles including Private Client Practitioner and Tax Planning International,