Corporate Advisory
Board Advisory
Independent counsel for directors, chairs and boards navigating high-stakes decisions.
Corporate Advisory
Strategic counsel to boards and executives shaping the next phase of growth.
Overview
How we help.
Boards face questions that do not sit neatly within the remit of management or external auditors. Director duties in contested situations, governance responses to integrity issues, the composition and dynamics of the board itself — these are the issues that keep chairs awake at night, and the ones on which independent advice is most valuable.
Corson Fiske acts as a trusted sounding board for chairs, committee heads and individual directors. Our engagements are structured around the specific issue at hand, and our advice is direct, confidential and privileged where appropriate. We work particularly closely with boards of private and mid-market ASX-listed companies, where the gap between governance expectations and practical reality is often widest.
What clients value most is judgement. Frameworks and checklists have their place, but directors navigating a contested situation need someone who has seen similar matters resolved — and who can explain which of the theoretically available options will actually hold up under scrutiny. That experience is what we bring.
Capabilities
- Governance framework review and gap assessment
- Director duties advisory — including in contested situations
- Board composition and effectiveness reviews
- Risk and audit committee support
- Conflicts of interest and related-party transaction advisory
- Director exposure assessments (insolvent trading, DPN, continuous disclosure)
- Crisis and contested situations management
- Chair and director coaching
Client Situations
When clients engage us.
Every engagement is different, but the issues that bring clients through our door tend to fall into familiar patterns.
Directors are concerned about solvency
Cash flow pressure is mounting and the directors need independent advice on their duties, safe harbour eligibility and the realistic options available before the position deteriorates further.
A conflict has emerged
A related-party transaction, a conflicted director or a contested matter has arisen and the board needs guidance on process, disclosure and decision-making.
The board is not functioning effectively
Chairs increasingly commission independent reviews of board composition, meeting effectiveness and decision-making. We deliver candid assessments with practical recommendations.
A crisis has hit
A regulatory investigation, a media issue, the departure of a key executive. Boards in crisis need calm, experienced counsel that can move at the pace events require.
A shareholder dispute is threatening the business
Disagreements between shareholders or directors are affecting the business itself. Independent strategic advisory can break the deadlock before it becomes destructive.
Succession planning has been deferred too long
The next generation of leadership has not been identified or prepared. Independent advisory on structure, timing and process is now urgent.
Outcomes
What you can expect.
- A clear understanding of the duties owed and the protections available
- Confidential, privileged advice documented in a form that supports future review
- A decision framework for the specific issue, with the risks of each option spelled out
- Ongoing support through the resolution of the matter
Client Success
Outcomes from recent engagements.
Indicative results from engagements within this practice area. Client details have been anonymised; outcomes reflect actual matters completed by the firm.
$180M
Enterprise Value Created
Strategic transformation
Advised the board and founders of a growth-stage technology business through a three-year transformation that tripled enterprise value ahead of a successful trade sale.
Technology company
12 months
Return to Profitability
Operational turnaround
Redesigned the operating model and commercial framework of a multi-site NDIS provider, returning the business to profitability within 12 months.
NDIS provider
6 weeks
From Brief to Investment
Growth capital raise
Led a structured capital raise for a founder-owned software business, completing a competitive process from mandate to executed investment within six weeks.
Software business
Why Corson Fiske
Experience where it counts.
Clients engage Corson Fiske because they need advice they can act on — delivered by senior practitioners who understand both the technical detail and the commercial consequences. Every engagement is led by a partner with direct experience in board and governance advisory, supported by a team sized to the matter rather than the billing target.
Our integrated structure means tax, legal, accounting and advisory questions are resolved within a single firm. For clients operating across Australia, Asia, New Zealand or Asia, our office network in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Singapore and Auckland provides consistent advice across jurisdictions.
How we help
A structured approach to resolving your issue.
01 — Assess
Understand the position
A confidential briefing to understand the facts, the commercial drivers and the constraints you are working within.
02 — Analyse
Options and risks
Technical and commercial analysis of the realistic options available, with a clear view of the risks and likely outcomes of each.
03 — Advise
Clear recommendation
A written recommendation you can act on — not a set of caveats. We stand behind our advice and explain our reasoning in plain English.
04 — Execute
Implementation support
Hands-on delivery of the agreed plan, with ongoing engagement through to completion.
Key Considerations
What clients need to know.
Engaging external advisors on any significant matter raises practical questions about scope, timing, cost and outcomes. We believe in being straightforward about each of these from the first conversation.
How engagements typically begin
Every engagement starts with a confidential initial conversation — usually 30 to 60 minutes — in which we listen to the situation, ask the questions needed to understand it properly, and share a view on whether and how we can help. There is no charge for this conversation and no obligation to proceed.
How we scope and price work
We prefer fixed-fee or capped-fee arrangements wherever the scope allows. Where the scope is genuinely uncertain — as in contested matters — we agree hourly rates upfront and provide regular fee updates against defined phases. We do not bill for internal discussions, file opening or routine administration.
Who you will work with
Every engagement is led by a partner with direct experience in the matter type. That partner remains your primary point of contact throughout. Specialist colleagues join the team where their expertise is required, but you will never be passed from person to person or find the partner you hired is no longer on the file.
How we handle confidentiality and privilege
All engagements are subject to strict confidentiality. Where legal advice is being delivered, it is provided through our incorporated legal practice and attracts legal professional privilege. We take document security, information handling and communications discipline seriously on every matter.
Get the right advice from Corson Fiske.
Confidential, no-obligation initial consultations with a partner who specialises in board and governance advisory.