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Damin Murdock

Damin Murdock

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Principal Lawyer, Leo Lawyers | Chief Legal Officer, Lawpath

Damin Murdock, based in Sydney, is a commercial and corporate lawyer with more than 20 years of experience and over 300 five-star reviews. He is the founder of Leo Lawyers, as well as the Chief Legal Officer for Lawpath, Australia’s largest legal-tech platform. As a commercial lawyer, Damin has served more than 1,000 startups and SMEs in his capacity as a trusted advisor to navigate commercial issues, handle disputes and complete strategic capital raises and transactions.
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Profile

Damin has worked on a vast array of complex, high-value matters. He is recognised as one of the most commercially focused lawyers in the market, known for providing practical, strategic, results-focused legal advice offered across the eastern seaboard from Brisbane to Melbourne.
  • Experience at a Glance
  • More than 20 years of commercial legal practice
  • 300+ five-star client reviews
  • 1,000+ Australian businesses advised
  • Over $100M in capital raising activities
  • Over $100M in litigating disputes
  • Practised in QLD, NSW, VIC and the High Court of Australia
  • Principal Lawyer at Leo Lawyers
  • Chief Legal Officer at Lawpath

Practice Focus

Commercial & Corporate Law

  • Damin has extensive experience advising on contracts, international transactions, business structures, capital raising, governance and compliance advisory services for a diverse client base from early-stage startups to large ASX-listed companies.

Building & Construction Law

  • Damin has been a Panel Lawyer for the Master Builders Association and assists a wide range of parties with security of payment matters, construction contracts and disputed matters, being a familiar face in VCAT, NCAT and the Courts in those States acting for builders, developers, owner corporations and homeowners.

Technology Law

  • Damin has significant experience in advising on sophisticated transactions including but not limited to data analytics, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, AML/CTF designated services (such as crypto exchanges), merchant banking facilities, reward and loyalty integrations through APIs and preparing licensing, transfer and sale of intellectual property and data contracts and preparing SaaS agreements and end user licence agreements regarding the above transactions.

Litigation & Dispute Resolution

  • Damin is an experienced litigator and regularly appears in the Supreme Court of New South Wales and Victoria regarding complex high-stake matters such as director and shareholder disputes. He also acts in nearly all courts and tribunals throughout Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

Employment Law

  • Damin offers critical employment law advice and advocacy on employment law matters such as classification of employees under Modern Awards, unfair dismissals (including constructive dismissal and non-genuine redundancies), general protections, unlawful terminations, discrimination and victimisation claims and what is commonly referred to as ‘executive right laws’ regarding individuals that are not protected by the Fair Work Act. Damin acts in matters and appears before the Fair Work Commission, NSW Industrial Relations Commission, the Federal Circuit Court, the Federal Court, the Supreme Court regarding these matters.

Startups & Business Growth

  • Damin has been operating in the start-up industry since 2012, when it was in its infancy. Over the years, Damin has assisted start-ups with corporate structuring, establishment of discretionary trusts, drafting shareholder agreements and constitutions, protecting founders’ interests by drafting founder rights in the relevant documentation, issuing shares subject to vesting conditions or reverse vesting, drafting and implementing employee share option plans and incentive plans for shares, options and bonuses, pre-capital raising and due diligence, conducting capital raising via simple agreement for future equity (SAFE Notes), convertible notes, term sheets, subscription agreements and other general matters such as drafting referral agreements, channel partner agreements, employment agreements, contractor agreements, licensing and distribution agreements. He provides holistic legal representation from initial formation through to exit.

Professional Roles

Principal Lawyer - Leo Lawyers

  • Damin heads the firm's commercial, construction, technology and dispute resolution practice in this role. Drawing on this experience, he concentrates his practice advising clients across a range of industries by guiding them through high-value transactions and complex disputes with pragmatic legal solutions strategically aligned with unique business goals.

Chief Legal Officer - Lawpath

  • Damin is the legal lead and overseer of Australia's largest legal-tech platforms. In this role, he helps and supervises lawyers at Lawpath Legal provide thousands of businesses with their legal, compliance, and governance needs.

Career History

Damin has legal experience ranging from senior roles in more conventional private practice to the innovative legal-tech space. Prior to establishing Leo Lawyers, he was a director of an an Australian law firm’s Brisbane office. In that period, he handled complex intellectual property and commercial matters for various multinational corporations. He is also the founder of MCLP Lawyers (formerally MurdockCheng Legal Practice), a boutique commercial law firm, and Chief Legal Officer at Lawpath.

Aside from his private practice work, Damin is also a highly active member of the business and professional community. He is a Charter Member of TiE, the global entrepreneurship network and has been President of the Canadian Australian Club and Treasurer for the North American Australian Lawyers Alliance (NAALA). He has published articles in the Master Builders Association magazine and has been a presenter at industry events like Building to Business,the Sydney Home Show, the All-Energy Conference, and Manufacturing Week.
Damin Murdock

Education & Qualifications

  • Academic Qualifications
  • LLM in International Business Transactions from Erasmus University (Rotterdam)
  • Juris Doctor in International Trade Law from Bond University
  • Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice (Commercial Law) College of Law
  • University of Western Ontario, Bachelor of Administrative & Commercial Studies (Finance & Accounting)
  • Legal Admissions

Frequently Asked Questions

What areas of law does Damin Murdock practice in?
Damin focuses on Commercial & Corporate Law, Building & Construction Law, Technology Law, Employment Law, Litigation and Startup Matters. He advises businesses of all sizes across New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.
Damin brings more than 20 years of legal and industry experience. He has been admitted as a lawyer in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and the High Court of Australia. He has worked on matters valued more than $100 million over his career.
Damin is based in Sydney, NSW. His office is at Level 15, Grosvenor Place, 225 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000. He guides clients in Melbourne and attends to matters nationally in the Federal and Supreme Courts.
You may schedule a consultation on the Leo Lawyers website directly or call 02 8201 0051. Office – Level 15, Grosvenor Place, 225 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000

Insights

What Is a Notional Contract Under the Home Building Act 1989 (NSW)?

July 10, 2026

Last Updated on 10/07/2026 by Damin Murdock and William Schulze What is a Notional Contract Section 18B of the Home Building Act 1989 (NSW) (HBA) implies statutory warranties into every contract with respect to residential building work. These statutory warranties include, but are not limited to,

A Guide to the Fair Work Act’s Closing Loopholes Amendment

July 9, 2026

Last Updated on 09/07/2026 by Damin Murdock and Malak Amgad The Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Act 2023 and the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes No. 2) Act 2024 fundamentally change how businesses manage casuals, independent contractors, and gig workers and set new limits

Don’t Forget About Your Existing Shareholders’ Pre-emptive Rights

July 9, 2026

Last Updated on 09/07/2026 by Damin Murdock and Nohra Chalouhi Start-ups and closely held proprietary companies often need to issue shares quickly, whether to bring in investors, restructure founder holdings or incentivise employees. However, those decisions are commonly constrained by pre-emptive rights, which give existing shareholders

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