Meet Chris Lillie

Chris is a Director at Bennett & Philp Lawyers and a member of our Business Advisory team.

Chris advises Australian and international businesses on commercial law and complex transactions.

He has led multidisciplinary teams on major deals in industries ranging from manufacturing and automotive to professional services and recruitment.

Particular areas of expertise include:

• Business sales and acquisitions, from small private transfers to large multi-entity transactions.
• Business and corporate structuring, including shareholder arrangements, group reorganisations, buy-backs and asset protection.
• Commercial and retail leasing, acting for both landlords and tenants on retail, industrial and office premises.
• Contract drafting and negotiation, covering supply agreements, services contracts and long-term commercial arrangements.
• Finance and securities, including private lending, loan documentation and security packages.

Recent highlights include:

• Acting on the sale of A1 Rubber, a leading Queensland rubber manufacturer, to Straight Bat Private Equity (2023).
• Advising the shareholders of the Motorama Group on the sale of the business to Hawai‘i-based Servco Group (2024), one of the largest automotive transactions in Australia in recent years.

Chris works closely with clients to structure transactions, manage risk and guide negotiations, drawing on deep experience across acquisitions, divestments, restructures and commercial arrangements.