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HWLE Lawyers advise Administrators and Deed Administrators of Bedford Group Entities

Firm News

HWLE Lawyers have advised McGrathNicol in their capacity as Administrators and Deed Administrators of the entities within the Bedford Group.

On 3 February 2026, the Deed Administrators of Bedford Services & Advisory Limited (Subject to Deed of Company Arrangement) (BSA) completed the transaction contemplated by the Deed of Company arrangement and The Disability Trust (as Proponent) became the sole member of BSA. This acquisition signals a significant milestone in the complex restructure of the entities within the Bedford Group.

BSA provides disability employment services across South Australia and is the second-largest employer of people with a disability in Australia. The transaction secured the ongoing employment of more than 1,100 employees, including over 800 NDIS‑supported employees, allowing BSA to continue its role as a leading employer in the disability services sector.

Wendy Jones (Partner) and Emmalee Pacillo (Special Counsel) led the restructure and were supported by Jamie Restas (Chair of Partners), Sam Pitman (Special Counsel) and Adele Brookes (Solicitor) from our Corporate team; Adam Ludlow (Partner), Nick Black (Special Counsel) and Austin Tavian (Law Graduate) from our Property team; Clare Raimondo (Partner) and Chris Morey (Special Counsel) from our Employment team; Timothy Stokes (Partner) and Connor Eglinton (Senior Associate) from our Tax team; and Daniel Kiley (Partner) and Bellarose Watts (Law Graduate) on the IP and IT aspects.

Commenting on the deal, Wendy Jones said: “We are pleased to have supported McGrathNicol in achieving this important milestone and fantastic outcome which ensures the continued employment of people with disability across South Australia following a complex restructure process.


Note to Editors:

HWLE is the largest legal partnership in Australia according to the most recent partnership surveys published by the Australian Financial Review.

The firm comprises 1,840, staff including 279 Partners, 1,138 other legal staff and 423 support staff across offices in nine locations – Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Melbourne, Hobart, Norwest (Northwest Sydney), Perth and Sydney.

HWLE is an independent, nationally integrated, full service commercial law firm, providing tailored and commercially oriented legal services.

HWLE operates a different business model to the other leading national law practices, and this allows us to offer unrivalled value for money without compromising quality and service. Our low ratio of solicitors to partners ensures that our clients receive optimal access to partner resources for all matters.

For further information, please contact:

Russell Mailler, Chief Executive Partner (03) 8644 3569 or rmailler@hwle.com.au

Angelique Kear, Head of Marketing (02) 9334 8541 or akear@hwle.com.au

Important Disclaimer: The material contained in this publication is of general nature only and is based on the law as of the date of publication. It is not, nor is intended to be legal advice. If you wish to take any action based on the content of this publication we recommend that you seek professional advice.

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