Blaze Business & Legal

My firm, Blaze Business & Legal, is an innovative boutique management consultancy and law firm in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

I have 23+ years of experience as a strategic management consultant/business adviser, and senior lawyer specialising in construction law, contracting, major projects, risk, compliance, and procurement for business and government

I have acted as General Counsel, Procurement Adviser, Commercial Officer, Contract Administrator, Senior Legal Counsel and Strategic Adviser in different organisations - these roles have given me a depth of experience that is rare for most lawyers.

My knowledge of various industries allows me to effectively contribute to the overall strategic direction and performance of my clients. I have practiced in industries such as construction, property and development, retirement, government, Defence, ICT, infrastructure, civil, services, mining, water and wastewater. I have substantial experience in many forms of project delivery

I’m a strategic problem-solver who considers issues holistically from a combined legal, commercial and operational angle

I specialise in:

🔹drafting contracts
🔹providing strategic legal advice
🔹providing strategic procurement advice and drafting procurement documents
🔹drafting innovative contracts and other legal documents
🔹risk analysis and mitigation
🔹resolving problems for the organisation
🔹advising in relation to contract management
🔹analysing and advising in relation to compliance with policies and procedures and relevant laws 
🔹governance issues

Blaze Business & Legal specialises in construction law, commercial law, legal advice, legal advisory services, major projects, infrastructure, collaborative contracting, civil, mining, business advisory services, management consulting, change management, procurement, probity, risk analysis, risk advice, risk mitigation, compliance, governance, commercial advice, strategic advice and leadership development.

Managing Director

Blaze Professional Learning

I help Lawyers and Non-Lawyers work better with Contracts and improve their skills in Contract Planning, Contract Drafting, Contract Review, Contract Negotiation and Contract Management. I also work with Professionals to help them overcome their Imposter Syndrome.

Owner

Team Downer MSP

Commercial Manager

Australian Government Solicitor

I specialised in construction law, legal advice, legal advisory services, major projects, infrastructure, collaborative contracting, civil, government contracts, government advice, Defence advisory, procurement, probity, risk analysis, risk advice, risk mitigation, compliance, and governance.

Senior Lawyer

Defence Housing Australia

I acted as General Counsel of DHA and provided senior legal advice and high-level strategic input to the Board and Managing Director of DHA. Role included leading the legal team, managing all matters, supervising hire and performance of external lawyers and all General Counsel roles.

Acting General Counsel

Meyer Vandenberg Lawyers

Senior Associate

Airservices Australia

Senior Legal Counsel

Corrs Chambers Westgarth

Construction and Major Projects Group, Engineering Procurement Infrastructure Construction Division

Solicitor

Laing O'Rourke

Secondment to Laing O'Rourke in-house legal team

Corporate Legal Counsel

Thiess

Secondment as Acting General Counsel - NSW

Acting General Counsel - New South Wales

Helping you solve your Business Challenges:

💎 𝗢𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀: Know something is not right with your business, but you don't know who to ask for help? The structure doesn't reflect where your business is at now, things feel cobbled together and your procurement, contracting, compliance, risk management and governance need work. And it's all causing inefficiencies, compliance issues, loss of revenue and loss of sleep! You have 20 different problems in a giant ball that needs untangling. Let's chat, this is what I do!

💎 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀: Need help communicating your strategic direction to your CEO and implementing changes without causing waves? Or do you need a strategic adviser (who has also been a Board Member and is experienced in Governance) to help you work out the best future path for the organisation, then help communicate this to the CEO and get buy-in?

💎 𝗖𝗘𝗢𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀: Need a Chief Legal Officer or General Counsel but don't have the budget to hire one full-time? Need help solving specific problems and implementing solutions? Or need a strategic analysis of your organisation to work out the cause of your problem(s), then help fix them?

💎 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗹: Having problems within your Legal Division or with internal relationships in your organisation? Fixing these is a speciality of mine. Need extra senior resources on a flexible plug-and-play basis? Need a Senior Strategic Adviser to carry out a discrete legal or compliance project for your Division or the organisation as a whole?

💎 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀: Need help restructuring your Division, putting in place policies and procedures, implementing compliance, streamlining processes, or help putting in place tighter workflows with other Divisions (then documenting those workflows in diagram form)?

I use my combined strategic advisory, management consultancy and legal skills to help you to:

🔹Carry out major projects
🔹Manage and mitigate risk
🔹Improve your business
🔹provide strategic legal advice
🔹provide strategic procurement advice and draft procurement documents
🔹Make your processes more efficient and aligned with best industry practice
🔹Resolve Business Challenges
🔹Ensure compliance with relevant laws
🔹Draft policies and procedures 
🔹Deal with governance issues
🔹Improve cross-functional dynamics
🔹Improve your bottom line

Rachelle is the Owner of Brisbane Livewell Clinic, a wellness and natural therapies centre with 2 clinics in Brisbane.

Rachelle Hare

Farren McRae Workplace Lawyers & Consultants

Director

The Pointy End of HR Community

If you work in employee relations, employment law, workplace investigations, workplace mediations, performance and discipline management, complaint and grievance management, industrial relations, enterprise bargaining, etc, then you work at the Pointy End of HR and this is your community.

Working at the Pointy End of HR is rewarding but can be very challenging.  

This community is a safe place for us all to learn, grow, share, support one another and take our practices to the next level.

Co-Founder

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (QLD) Ltd

Board member with specialist legal and commercial skills

Specialist Board Director and Company Secretary

Farren Workplace Consulting

With extensive experience gained in both the private and public sectors, Farren Workplace Consulting specialises in providing its clients with professional workplace investigation and dispute mediation and conciliation services.

Bar Association of Queensland

John was a Brisbane-based barrister engaged in all aspects of civil practice, with specialist experience and interest in:

* Industrial Relations and Employment law;
* Workers Compensation;
* Civil & Human Rights/Discrimination;
* Administrative law;
* Commercial and Corporations law;
* Contract law; 
* Insolvency and Liquidation law; and
* Inquests, Commissions of Inquiry and Statutory Tribunals.

John was briefed to provide legal advice, draft documents, appear at mediation/conciliation and appear in any Court or Tribunal in Queensland or Australia.

Barrister-at-Law

Salvation Army Employment Plus

From 2012 to 2017 John served pro bono as an independent Board member on the National Board of Management of the Salvation Army's Employment Plus.

Board Member (Pro Bono) National Board of Management

Queensland Treasury

As a Senior Lawyer, John provided advice in relation to some of Queensland's largest commercial infrastructure projects including the negotiation and drafting of complex tendering documentation and development agreements.  He was also regularly instructed in relation to a variety of complex commercial, contract, administrative law and employment matters.

As a Principal Employee Relations Advisor, John provided professional, authoritative and timely strategic advice to senior and executive management on issues including enterprise bargaining, diminished performance, discipline (including dismissal), discrimination and harassment, rehabilitation practices, employment law, employee relations and HR policies, certified agreements and awards.

Principal Employee Relations Consultant

Director at Farren McRae Workplace Lawyers & Consultants | Employment Lawyer | Workplace Investigator I Mediator | Independent Company Director

If you have a workplace or employment-related problem anywhere in Australia, I'm here to help you solve it.

With a wealth of experience in all facets of workplace and employment law, I've advised and represented employers and employees across the private sector, public sector, non-profits, and statutory authorities. 

My practice spans appearances before Workplace and Industrial, Administrative and Statutory Tribunals, and Courts at both State and Federal levels.

I have a particular passion for dispute resolution, excelling in both court advocacy and strategic negotiation. 

Before co-founding Farren McRae Workplace Lawyers and Consultants, I spent over six years as a Barrister-at-Law at the Queensland Private Bar. 

My transition to solicitor stemmed from a deep-seated drive to assist individuals and employers in effectively resolving complex workplace disputes, a mission I felt was best pursued by leading my own law firm.

Beyond legal representation, I bring over 20 years of experience in conducting complex, high-stakes workplace investigations, tackling issues such as misconduct, corrupt conduct, bullying and harassment, serious disciplinary matters, sexual harassment, grievances, discrimination, and worker’s compensation.

I am also an experienced workplace mediator, known for my distinctive mediation style that helps parties uncover the root causes of their conflicts and foster more positive working relationships.

My commitment to the community is reflected in my roles as an independent Board member. 

Since January 2017, I have served as one of the two Specialist Directors on the Board of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (QLD) Ltd.  

I previously served pro bono on the National Board of Management of the Salvation Army’s Employment Plus from 2012 to 2017.

For personalised legal advice or representation, you can reach me at john.farren@farrenmcrae.com.au.

Disclaimer:  Any comment or contribution I make on LinkedIn does not create a lawyer-client relationship with any reader, is made purely for educational or entertainment purposes and does not constitute legal advice. In other words, although I am a lawyer, I’m not your lawyer. If you need personalised legal advice, you should contact a lawyer who is licensed to practice in your local jurisdiction.

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The Battle

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