chris brown

partner

expertise

  • Tax

  • Dispute Resolution & Litigation

  • Corporate & Commercial

  • Estate Planning

  • Property & Development

  • Charity & Not-for-profit

Chris Brown has practiced in revenue, commercial and corporate law for over 45 years, with a critical focus on innovation, strategic planning and legal design, to satisfy the needs of clients. He has worked to ensure that Brown Wright Stein Lawyers strives to continually evaluate and improve internal processes and is passionate about continued employee learning and growth, to enable the firm to satisfy the needs of clients in a strategic, ethical, timely and cost effective manner.

He has worked strategically with successful entrepreneurs and business leaders and owners in many fields, to create long term sustained growth and brand value for shareholders, investors and stakeholders. He has a particular interest in the design of systems for effective linking of operations with execution of enterprise strategy, remuneration strategy, corporate governance and risk.

Chris has been a non-executive director of Harvey Norman Holdings Limited since 1982, and a non-executive director or chairman of a number of unlisted companies in the retail, freight and logistic sectors. He is currently a member of the audit, remuneration and nomination committees of Harvey Norman Holdings Limited.

Chris is passionate about social justice for people with an intellectual disability. He is chairman of Windgap Foundation Limited, a public benevolent institution which provides a wide range of services to people with intellectual disabilities and their families. Windgap's mission is to support people with an intellectual disability to be included and participate in the community to the fullest possible extent. In June 2013 in the Queen’s Birthday honours list Chris was awarded the Order of Australia, for service to the community, particularly people with a disability. Chris values the fact that Brown Wright Stein Lawyers is able to regularly utilise the skills and resources of the firm, pro bono, to assist people with disability and their families.

qualifications

  • Chartered Tax Adviser

  • Company Directors Course Diploma, Australian Institute of Company Directors

  • Master of Laws, University of Sydney

  • Bachelor of Laws, University of Sydney

 
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articles

Featured
Corporate & Commercial, Consumer Law
Illegal cartel conduct leads to massive fines and criminal sentences for CEOs
Corporate & Commercial, Consumer Law

A cumulative fine of $33.5 million and criminal convictions and fines imposed on the CEOs have been recently handed down by the Federal Court following criminal cartel conduct.

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Corporate & Commercial, Consumer Law
Workplace Relations
Call when you want, but there's no one home, and you're not gonna reach my telephone! The "Right to Disconnect" becomes law
Workplace Relations

Employees will have the right to disconnect from work outside normal working hours, after amendments to the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) were recently passed.

Importantly, nothing in the new law suggests that an employer cannot contact an employee outside of their normal working hours. Rather, the amendments mean employees may refuse to monitor, read or respond to contact, or attempted contact, from an employer or third party outside of the employee’s working hours unless the refusal is unreasonable.

Businessman in a shadowy office stopping domino effect with his finger with a bright light flare from behind.

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Workplace Relations
Corporate & Commercial, Compliance & Corporate
Remove Unfair Contract Terms before 9 November 2023
Corporate & Commercial, Compliance & Corporate

From 9 November 2023, changes to the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) will impose heavy penalties on businesses proposing, using, or relying on unfair contract terms in standard form contracts with consumers and small businesses. Businesses need to review their standard form contracts now and remove any unfair contract terms to avoid substantial penalties.

Businessman in a shadowy office stopping domino effect with his finger with a bright light flare from behind.

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Corporate & Commercial, Compliance & Corporate