Areas of Expertise

Aged Care & Retirement living, Corporate & Advisory, Regulatory compliance, Dispute resolution, Tax

Nikolas specialises in assisting clients in the aged care and retirement living industry. He has a wide range of experience, including corporate and commercial, property, contracts, mergers and acquisitions, and provides strategic advice to clients on:

  • the structuring of seniors living developments, including advising on tax and GST aspects of a development;
  • the application of aged care and retirement villages laws across various Australian jurisdictions and other matters of aged care and retirement villages operations; and
  • dispute resolution relating to tenure and financial matters.

Nikolas also has extensive experience advising in relation to not-for-profit issues and tax (both income tax and indirect taxes including stamp duty). His knowledge of corporate and taxation principles enables him to provide in-depth advice on all aspects of the development and operation of businesses and companies, particularly in the not-for-profit and aged care and senior living communities industries.

His knowledge of corporate governance is also of particular value in relation to the ongoing governance requirements expected of companies operating in the aged care and seniors living communities industries, as well as in the establishment and compliance of charities and not-for-profits with ASIC and ACNC regulations.

What others say

Experience

Retirement village developments

Advising various retirement village operators (including residential developers entering the industry) in relation to the corporate structuring of seniors living development projects, including on obtaining GST-free status.

Tax exemptions

Advising charitable and groups on obtaining federal, state and territory revenue concessions for restructuring of their tax exempt entities and dealing with revenue authorities to obtain concessions.

RAC providers and RV operators

Advising various providers and operators in relation to complex resident issues including security of tenure and financial arrangements, including acting for those entities in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Bondi Beach Astra Retirement Village

Advising plaintiff in Supreme Court of New South Wales proceedings in relation to the interaction between strata and retirement village laws and general contract law. The Court confirmed our position that the complex is a 'retirement village' and the sale of the premises was therefore subject to the retirement village laws. The case is a leading precedent on the subject matter and confirms the position that strata-titled retirement villages (when managed properly) can be operated in NSW.