Since its inception in 2011, Proximity lawyers have undertaken hundreds of legal secondments across the Commonwealth, ranging from short-term to multi-year commitments across administrative law, litigation, commercial law, coronial, WHS and information law. We are passionate about working alongside—or embedded in—government teams. This is what Proximity is known for and why our lawyers choose to work with us.
We’re able to meet the Commonwealth’s needs, whether that’s by providing senior expertise on sensitive or significant issues or tapping into our deep pool of trusted talent to offer surge solutions, including at the paralegal level. Our partnership approach extends to supporting capability uplift within government teams by readily sharing our knowledge and tools. We are also industry‑recognised (Government Team of the Year 2022 and 2017, Australian Law Awards).
All 50+ lawyers on our team are security cleared, some to the highest levels. Proximity also has Zone 4 secure facilities in Canberra, is a Defence Industry Security Program (DISP) member and has an Essential Eight Level Two maturity rating. These reflect our strong cyber security stance. As a government-first Australian-owned SME, we also don’t run up against conflicts like some of our competitors do.
We’re acutely aware of the need to give back to the community and commit 2% of our gross revenue to our Community Program. This is significantly more than the industry standard and is a contribution our executive leadership has been proud to achieve annually since 2020. We were also a Finalist for Pro Bono Program of the Year at both the 2021 and 2020 Australian Law Awards.
Proximity has provided legal support services to a large Commonwealth department since 2016. We currently have a team of 10 lawyers providing on-site litigation, commercial and information law support to three of the Department’s legal branches.
Key Personnel
Commercial law
Proximity lawyers have:
- advised on a wide range of contractual arrangements, including contracts, Deeds of Standing Offer, MOUs and grant agreements, contract terminations and contractual disputes
- prepared and reviewed procurement and grant documentation and provided advice.
Information law
A Proximity lawyer is currently managing a case load in the Information Commissioner Review space. This involves triaging review notices, forming a strategic position on the Department’s response to each review, and drafting and settling submissions. They report to the Assistant Secretary directly and prepare briefings to the Secretary on sensitive matters. They have also contributed to discussions around the Department’s strategic approach to responding to high volumes of review notices from individual complainants and on matters of public interest.
Litigation
Proximity lawyers:
- provide complex legal advice on statutory interpretations that inform delegate decision-making
- work on complex debt recovery matters—this includes negotiating payment plans, drafting Deeds of Agreement and assisting the Department to investigate and prepare matters for civil litigation and criminal action
- assess, advise and provide recommendations on discretionary claims and external reviews—this involves conducting internal investigations, liaising with business/client areas and drafting legal advice and recommendations for authorised decision-makers, and
- deliver training on conducting litigation to build the Department’s internal capacity.
Many of our lawyers have held senior positions in highly regarded government teams and private practice, including as General Counsel and Principal Legal Officers.
