Synergy Law
Supporting Government to become 'future ready', partnering with clients to achieve legally defensible outcomes.
By leaning into complex and challenging issues, we can find options and solutions to support legally defensible outcomes and provide confidence for the commonwealth.
Synergy Law is a Synergy Group integrated legal offering, specialising in Government law and legal advisory services. Synergy Law as a capability, and an added service line, enables Synergy Group to provide clients integrated end to end advisory services and solutions which are legally assured and defensible. Synergy Law also provides Synergy Group the additional capability to look at ways to ‘lean into’ future legal issues such as: cyber security, ICT and infrastructure security, emerging energy resources, climate law, supply chain management, data sharing and information law, to support Government operations becoming ‘future ready’.
Synergy Law not only provides an integrated legal service but added depth of experience through having worked in, and for, Government on complex legal, policy and program matters. We know our market, we know our clients, we understand what you need. We will lean in, work beside you, and help you achieve your outcomes.
Meet the team
From start to finish we listen and seek to understand and deliver impact, together, in partnership.
How we think
With views on what matter and knowledge to share. We pride ourselves in collaborating. Get to know us better.
Insight
"Performance Data" and the Legal Gymnastics
Data Governance in sport is a bit like the Wild West, where entrepreneurs sign 'prospects' up to contracts that are light on detail - and tend to be even lighter on legalities. And I'm a case in point. One sporting contract I signed gave me very little ability to negotiate or amend the terms, but it gave the other party virtually unlimited rights to record collect, transmit, measure, use, modify, and alter any information related to my training and race data. This included, but was not limited to heart rate, calorie intake, power output, velocity, cadence, and location data. In the sporting world, this is referred to as "performance data".
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Insight
The power of positive leadership in procurement
Ah procurement! The term often strikes fear into the hearts of every (or at least most) public servant. Adding to these fears are perceptions of complex regulatory and policy frameworks as well as the certainty of an audit. As discussed in previous articles, procurement isn't done well, in general in the APS (or in State/Territory Governments for that matter). However, it doesn't have to be this way - and (most) public servants need not 'live in fear' of procurement. In fact, the opposite should be true - they should embrace procurement, banish the fears and develop a positive approach to procurement and contracting.
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Insight
The privacy reforms' 'fair-and-reasonable' principle - What's that got to do with FOIs?
Fair-and-reasonable (FAR). That's the standard, the test for organisations handling personal information (PI) under the proposed privacy reforms. The FAR principle is also found in the 'Objects' section of the FOI Act at Section 3(4), outlining that FOI functions "are to be performed and exercised, as far as possible, to facilitate and promote public access to information, promptly and at the lowest reasonable cost."
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Insight
Pro Bono - Aspirational, no longer...
For those of you who aren't across the Latin - legalese, 'pro bono' is the abbreviated form of 'pro bono publico.' Translation - For the public good.
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Insight
5 Take-Aways on privacy reform that you must know now
The International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) opened its 2023 ANZ Summit in Sydney on 28 November with a keynote address from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) who is also the Privacy Commissioner - Angelene Falk. Commissioner Falk sang from a familiar hymn sheet with a simple message about accountability - that organisations need to embed strong privacy practices, to make it a core part of their DNA. And if they haven't invested in privacy yet, they need to start now - and to speak to boards, executives and management in earnest about funding their privacy programs. And why, you ask?
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Insight
The Unsung Hero of Procurement
Imagine a world where every procurement process is smooth, clear and devoid of any last-minute surprises. No, you don't need to write to Santa to wish for this not so distant utopia; it's achievable by understanding and mastering the craft of developing a Statement of Requirements (SoR). The SoR is an essential artifact in the procurement process. It is the fundamental centrepiece to contract formation and plays a pivotal role in achieving successful business outcomes.
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