Nikolas advises the seniors living and aged care sectors across the full lifecycle of operations: development and structuring, acquisitions, village contracts, regulatory compliance, tax advisory and tribunal disputes. A tax background informs the structuring and revenue work.
Biography
Nikolas acts for retirement village operators, aged care providers, and not-for-profit and faith-based organisations. He also advises private investors and developers entering the seniors living sector.
His practice covers the full lifecycle of retirement living and aged care operations. He advises on Retirement Villages Act compliance across multiple jurisdictions and the integration of the Aged Care Act in seniors living communities. The work spans corporate and commercial law, property, resident contracts, mergers and acquisitions, and regulatory engagement. A tax background underpins his structuring work, including income tax, GST and stamp duty, and GST-free planning during development. He also advises charities and not-for-profits on ACNC and ASIC compliance, governance and revenue exemptions.
Nikolas acts for clients with operations across New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. His matters include integrated retirement living, aged care and wellness precincts, multi-village portfolio acquisitions, and Supreme Court and NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal proceedings that have set precedent for the sector.
Nikolas brings tax structuring and sector regulation together in a practice where the two are inseparable. He chairs the Advocacy and Regulation Subcommittee of the Property Council’s NSW Retirement Living Committee, contributing to industry policy on legislative reform in New South Wales.
Credentials
Academic qualifications
- Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Laws (University of Technology, Sydney)
Memberships:
- NSW Retirement Living Committee (Property Council of Australia)
- Advocacy and Regulation Subcommittee (NSW Retirement Living Committee) — Chair
Nikolas' experience
Bondi Beach Astra retirement village
Advising plaintiff in Supreme Court of New South Wales proceedings in relation to the interaction between strata and retirement village laws and general contract law. The Court confirmed our position that the complex is a 'retirement village' and the sale of premises in that village was therefore subject to the retirement village laws. The case is a leading precedent on the subject matter and confirms the position that strata-titled retirement villages (when managed properly) can be operated in NSW.
Hyegrove Willoughby development
Advising on the $400 million integrated development of the independent living, high care village suites and broader wellness precinct, Hyegrove Willoughby.
Australian Unity retirement living management Pty Ltd
Acting for Australian Unity in NSW Tribunal proceedings in relation to the ability to charge operator management fees and self-insurance levies to residents. The case is a leading precedent of the position that operators in NSW (when detailed apportionments are provided) can charge management fees to the village budget and both self-insure (for the purposes of insurance compliance under the Act) and charge associated levies to the village budget.