influence legal is a boutique commercial practice specialising in IT, intellectual property, commercial contracting, marketing and compliance.
Based in inner Sydney, our focus is to provide commercial, efficient business advice based on a solid, up to date understanding of relevant legal principles.
As a small firm, influence legal is able to provide timely and client-centred advice with a flexible approach.
With the kind of substantial, high level experience that you can rely on to provide you with top-quality advice, we also have a clear understanding of the issues facing new and growing businesses.
Elizabeth Burrows, director, has over 20 years’ experience advising a range of commercial clients, from global IT corporations to independent Australian film producers and composers. Elizabeth worked at major Australian law firms and large corporates, including IBM and SOCOG, before establishing influence legal in 2012.
Blake Motbey, senior associate, joined the team at influence legal as a paralegal in 2018.
Combining his passion for the arts and creative industries with his background in law, Blake previously worked in the legal team at a major record label, assisted in advising student start-ups as part of the UNSW Entrepreneur Legal Centre, and volunteered with the Arts Law Centre of Australia.
Throughout his time with us, Blake has gained a range of experience in a variety of areas, including commercial contracting, intellectual property, information technology, entertainment, and commercial law matters. He has been responsible for privacy assessments for a big 4 firm, and undertaken secondments in a global franchising business and a global beverage company.
Ashna Govil, paralegal, has her Juris Doctorate from the University of Sydney Law School and is eager to kick start her legal career to greater heights. As an American living in Australia, Ashna hopes to become an expert in navigating the often-subtle differences between Australian and American legal systems. She is also a paralegal at the Arts Law Centre of Australia where she is deeply committed to supporting and empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices. She is interested in intellectual property, and her personal background and interest in the arts (specifically music), fashion, sports, and media add a unique perspective to those specific realms of law. She’s excited to be part of the influence legal team and expand her knowledge in those areas.
Zaki Zeini, paralegal, has recently joined our practice, now graduated from his combined Law & Business Degree at the University of Technology Sydney. Zaki’s diverse background sets him apart. With prior experience in marketing, retail and start-up ventures, he possesses the knowledge required to address the needs of businesses with a practical, commercially oriented mindset. Zaki has also volunteered at the Arts Law Centre of Australia and worked for a private practice where he assisted in resolving civil contract disputes. Zaki’s passion lies in the realms of intellectual property in the film and games industry, digital privacy, entertainment law and corporate mergers & acquisitions.
This firm is a valued pro bono supporter of the Arts Law Centre of Australia.