Employee ownership structures could become increasingly common in the Australian market, and – in an age of rapid market change and shifting employee sentiment – it could well be an option that firm owners opt for to ensure long-term business success. In this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Dorsisamy speaks with South East Lawyers director principal Melanie Heffernan about what an employee ownership structure is and looks like in practice, whether such structures are common (or becoming common) in Australia, the differences to share agreements, and whether these structures are suitable for SMEs in the current climate. Heffernan also delves into the benefits that can arise from employee ownership structures, the inherent challenges, whether there is appetite from lawyers and law firms to explore such options, the questions to ask of one’s business when implementing such a structure and the practical steps to doing so, whether such structures can and will become mainstream Down Under, and what excites her about the potential future of the business model moving forward.

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