Caroline Layton

Caroline assists clients with property and commercial advice and contractual negotiations, which includes drafting, reviewing, negotiating and advising on leases (both retail and commercial), occupation licences, contracts of sale for commercial, industrial and residential properties and other property-related transactional documentation.

Caroline has acted for a range of public and private sector clients and her areas of expertise include:

• acting for Commonwealth government clients across multiple jurisdictions within Australia in relation to commercial leasing, licensing transactions and planning law matters;
• acting for government clients in relation to the sale and purchase of commercial properties, leasing and licensing of Crown land within Victoria;
• reviewing and advising in relation to the purchase and sale of residential (Crown Lease land) in the ACT, completing settlements and reviewing commercial contracts (including sales of business);
• drafting and advising in relation to the purchase and sale of residential, commercial and industrial land in Victoria, including off the plan sales;
• undertaking thorough due diligence inquiries regarding encumbrances, agreements and use and development controls affecting land for purchaser clients and advising on their implications;
• advising in relation to the transfer of management responsibilities for Crown land between government departments in Victoria in response to machinery of government changes;
• drafting and reviewing community joint use agreements; and
• advising in relation to easements, including facilitating creation of easements under the Transfer of Land Act 1958 and the Subdivision Act 1988 and the removal of agreements entered into under s 69 of the Conservation, Forests and Lands Act 1987 from title.

Prior to joining the VGSO in 2022, Caroline worked in mid-tier private commercial law firms with diverse property and commercial practices in Melbourne and Canberra.