Justin Bernau
Justin has 20 years experience acting for Australian Government agencies, government-owned corporations and private sector entities in relation to government procurement, commercial contracting, corporate law and governance, information and communications technology, intellectual property, funding agreements and probity.
Justin has acted on many of the Australian Government’s strategically important and complex projects, and has helped ensure the success of national initiatives throughout their development, implementation and operation phases.
Justin’s practice also encompasses corporate law and governance, advising a wide range of clients on Corporations Act compliance, governance, corporate structuring, major transactions, regulatory compliance and the development of effective corporate governance frameworks.
Experience
Justin’s experience includes advising:
- Department of Defence (Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group) on strategic procurement and contracting for major capital equipment acquisition and sustainment programs. This includes advising Defence over a 3 year period in relation to the Future Submarine Program – the largest Defence procurement in Australia’s history, involving a design, construction and sustainment program of significant scale and complexity. Justin has also advised Defence in relation to the Collins Class Submarine Program and the AIR9000 Program for the acquisition and sustainment of Multi-Role Helicopters;
- Department of Social Services and Department of Human Services on the implementation of major Government policy initiatives, throughout their development, implementation and operation phases. This includes advising on high profile, successive Australian Government policy initiatives for welfare payment delivery mechanisms via a stored value card (Basics Card) and visa debit card (Cashless Debit Card) operating on the Australian Card Payment System. This involved advising on major procurement processes, drafting and negotiating transaction documents, and complex legislation and regulatory matters;
- Department of Human Services on technology-based contracts, ICT matters and eHealth initiatives. This includes acting in relation to the National Authentication Service for Health (NASH), a Public Key infrastructure (PKI) solution that validates identity via digital certificates for eHealth system access. Justin advised on the NASH development, implementation and operation, and its management through the Health Sector PKI system;
- Department of Health as probity advisor for an Australian Government initiative to consolidate 159 health programs into larger Flexible Funds. This involved advising on new, innovative ways to conduct parallel competitive grant processes. Justin has also advised Health on the implementation of major health initiatives and has developed corporate structures and contracting models for the delivery of health projects; and
- Various clients on corporate law, corporate governance, structuring and major transactions. Justin’s clients include Australian Government agencies, government-owned corporations, healthcare organisations, aboriginal corporations, peak bodies and not-for-profit organisations.