Bywaters Timms Lawyers

An Essential Part of Your Team, Bywaters Timms is a boutique commercial firm practicing in the Brisbane CBD. The firm practices in:- Franchising, Commercial Law, Property Law, Trade Practices, Intellectual Property, Dispute Resolution and Wills and Estates.

Bywaters Timms is one of Brisbane’s leading boutique commercial law firms. We practice from the Brisbane CBD, but our client’s businesses are located all over Australia.

Although we may be small, we pride ourselves on the depth of experience and expertise we offer our clients. We endeavour to look beyond just the legal issues and give our clients realistic commercial solutions to issues as they arise.

We take time to get to know our client’s businesses. The firm prides itself on its close, long term relationship with its clients. We believe those long term relationships are our key to success. We really do become an essential part of our client’s businesses.

The firm practices in many of the areas where advice is needed by SMEs.

One of Bywaters Timms’ principle areas of expertise is franchising. We assist both Franchisors and Franchisees, so we have a balanced perspective regarding franchising and the franchise relationship. The firm acts for a number of national and international franchise systems.

Our services include:

1. Advising on the appropriate structure for the business and preparing any necessary documents 
2. Advise about setting up a new franchise system 
3. Preparing Disclosure Documents and Franchise Agreements that comply with the Franchising Code of Conduct 
4. Submitting Franchise documents to Franchisees 
5. Preparing and advising on Leases and License to Occupy 
6. Advising on protection of intellectual property and arranging registration of trade marks nationally and internationally 
7. Negotiating, mediating and resolving disputes between franchisors and franchisees 
8. Advising on Trade Practices Act issues and conducting seminars to inform clients regarding their obligations under the Trade Practices Act 
9. Assisting clients to implement Trade Practices Compliance Programs 
10. Providing seminars on Trade Practices for clients. 

Our team:

Janice Bywaters
Janice has a LLB (Hons) from QUT and was admitted in 1989. She is a skilled commercial lawyer with a broad depth of experience. She advises a wide variety of businesses on legal issues that arise in operating small business.

For many years she practiced in the property law area and still advises many clients on both residential and commercial property. The firm acts for a number of independent supermarket operators.

Janice has a particular interest in the area of franchising. She places a heavy emphasis on maintaining the franchisor/franchisee relationship. She can also provide legal advice on all aspects of franchising issues including trade practices and intellectual property areas, and the drafting of franchise agreements, disclosure and related documents.

Janice is the past national board member of the Franchise Council of Australia, past president of the Queensland Chapter of the Franchise Council, a member of the Queensland Law Society Franchise Committee and is a qualified mediator.

Elizabeth Gore-Jones
Elizabeth was admitted to practice in Queensland in 1994 and has been admitted to the High Court of Australia. She has extensive experience and expertise as a commercial lawyer and believes in balancing the commercial and legal elements of transactions.

Elizabeth also has a particular interest in franchising and acts for franchisees and franchisors alike and has acted for many renowned franchisors.

She is a member of the Franchise Council of Australia Legal Committee, a member of the Queensland Law Society Franchise Committee and a past committee member of the Queensland chapter of the Franchise Council of Australia. She is often called upon to speak at franchising events and education seminars.

Our mission is to be an essential part of our client’s business by providing timely, up to date commercial legal advice.