Director · Lazarus Legal
Mark Lazarus.
Commercial & Trade mark lawyer in Sydney. 20+ years across private practice, the NSW Bar, and senior in-house roles at Monster Energy EMEA.
2,000+
Founders advised
$10M+
Recovered through IP enforcement
500+
Trade marks registered
2,000+
Capital raises structured
SYDNEY · AUSTRALIA
TL;DR
Who mark is
in two paragraphs.
Mark Lazarus is the Director of Lazarus Legal, a Sydney commercial law firm established in 1975. He has more than 20 years of experience across private practice, the NSW Bar, and senior in-house roles, including six years as Legal Counsel and then Legal Director EMEA at Monster Energy in London. Mark is admitted to practice in three jurisdictions: the Supreme Court of NSW, the Bar of NSW, and as a Solicitor of England and Wales.
Lazarus Legal has registered 500+ trade marks for Australian businesses, recovered over $10 million through infringement proceedings, and advised more than 2,000 founders through deals up to $50 million. Mark is a mentor at the Macquarie University Incubator, a Premium Partner of the Australian Furniture Association, and a recurring speaker on commercial law, intellectual property, and the practical use of AI in legal work.
The facts, at a glance.
Director, Lazarus Legal (2017 to present)
BBA/LLB, Macquarie University. PLT at College of Law Sydney.
Supreme Court of NSW (2004) · Solicitor of England & Wales (2008) · Bar of NSW (2010)
Founders, SaaS, tech, consumer goods and hospitality
About Mark.
A barrister who went in-house at a global FMCG brand, came back into practice, and now runs commercial law the way founders need it run.
Mark Lazarus joined Lazarus Legal as Director in 2017, after six years in London running the EMEA legal function for Monster Energy, one of the world’s largest energy drink brands. The firm itself was founded in 1975 by Barry Lazarus, who remains its CEO, and now operates from Bondi Junction with additional offices in Adelaide and Burleigh Heads.
Mark’s path through law has been a deliberate alternation between private practice, the bar, and in-house leadership. After graduating from Macquarie University with a BBA/LLB and completing his PLT at the College of Law, he was admitted to the Supreme Court of NSW in 2004, qualified as a Solicitor of England and Wales in 2008, and was called to the Bar of NSW in 2010. He practised as a barrister out of Edmund Barton Chambers and then Second Floor Selborne Chambers, before moving in-house at Monster Energy in 2013 as Legal Counsel for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and then as Legal Director for the region from 2016.
At Monster he managed a team in London, handled global bottling agreements with Coca-Cola, negotiated athlete endorsement and sponsorship deals, and contributed to the development of energy drink regulation at international conferences.
That mix of barrister and in-house experience is what now defines how Mark practices. He has worked inside a fast-moving global brand and knows what the legal function looks like when it lives or dies by commercial outcome. The service model he runs at Lazarus Legal is what he describes as Advisor-on-Tap, or external in-house counsel: practical, embedded, fixed-scope where possible, and built around how a business moves rather than how a traditional law firm bills.
Presenting at the Great Room
Mark Lazarus with the Lazarus Team
Two decades, three jurisdictions.
First admission as a solicitor.
Second jurisdiction qualified.
Edmund Barton Chambers and Second Floor Selborne Chambers.
2015-2016
I change the ending.
– Mark Lazarus
Where Mark
does the work.
Concentrated in five areas where founders and business owners carry the most risk and the most upside.
Trade marks and intellectual property
Trade marks are where Mark has done more work than almost any other Australian commercial lawyer of his generation. His Monster Energy years are a meaningful credential here: he led trade mark enforcement for a global FMCG brand whose entire business model depended on brand protection.
Today he advises clients on registration, IP Australia adverse examination responses, opposition proceedings, infringement strategy, design protection, copyright, and the question that catches most business owners out: who owns what was created on their behalf.
Commercial and corporate law
Mark works with businesses from the day they incorporate. The work spans shareholder agreements, founder agreements, employment contracts, supplier and distribution agreements, and the everyday commercial documents that quietly determine whether a business can scale cleanly.
Most of the structures he drafts are informed by what he has seen go wrong elsewhere across two decades of practice.
Capital raising and deal structuring
04
Dispute resolution and IP enforcement
Mark represents businesses defending what they have built. IP infringement matters, trade mark oppositions and disputes, breach of contract claims, and the strategic decision of when to litigate and when to settle.
His starting position is commercial: dispute resolution exists to get a business back to running, not to generate legal fees.
05 ·What He’s known for
AI and the law
Mark has become a go-to voice on where AI helps lawyers and founders, and where it quietly creates risk. He breaks down how AI-drafted contracts actually fail, hosts sessions like why ChatGPT contracts break and what founders can do about it, and can be seen presenting on AI in practice. He also runs regular AI workshops at incubators and accelerators.
His position, in short: AI is a powerful tool for people who already understand contracts, and a liability for those who don’t.
Macquarie * Full Circle
From Law student to law mentor.
Mark studied law at Macquarie University from 1998 to 2004. He now returns to the same campus as a mentor at the Macquarie University Incubator, Macquarie’s flagship innovation and entrepreneurship hub.
The Incubator’s mentor program is a vetted, sustained relationship rather than an open speaking circuit: mentors are matched to founders based on skills and experience, and the Digital Mentor Badge is awarded annually as recognition of ongoing contribution. Mark holds that badge and works directly with Incubator founders on legal structure, IP, and capital strategy.
He has reflected publicly on the arc from law student to mentor on the same campus.
Macquarie Mentorship Program
Where Mark
shows up.
A recurring speaker at university incubators, peak industry bodies, and professional associations across Australia.
Long Form Conversations.
Guest appearance · Ep 93 · 31 min
You Believe In What You Do!
The CUSP Podcast, hosted by Tom Hitchcock · July 202
Mark joined Tom Hitchcock, Founder and CEO of Purple Patch Consulting, on his interview series The CUSP Podcast (released on the Mr Purple YouTube channel) for a conversation on career, leadership and what it means to invest in yourself.
Real legal talk for founders who want to scale smart
Dont@ Me, July 2025
Running A Small Law Practice & Prioritising Your Mental Health
Josh Berben Show · March 2024
Mark joined US trade mark lawyer Josh Gerben to discuss running a small commercial firm, client acquisition, marketing methods, and the mental health side of legal practice.
Podcast
Challenging the Status Quo, The Future of Legal Marketing
Beyond Billables, June 2018
Published
Mark
in writing.
Mark writes on design IP, trade marks, FMCG regulation, and the legal exposure of businesses using AI tools.
Feature article · Australian Furniture Association
Who Owns the Design? Protecting Bespoke Furniture from Client Reuse and Copying
A design is only yours if you've protected it." Mark's article examines the gap between Copyright Act protection and the Designs Act when artistic works are industrially applied. Now used as reference material by furniture designers and makers across Australia.
opinion · Lazarus Legal
Prime Energy: More Caffeine than the Asutralian Legal Limit
Drawing on his Monster Energy regulatory experience, Mark analyses caffeine compliance in the Australian energy drink market.
Published
Mark sits on both sides of the table.
Superdrop
Industry Partnership
Premium Partner of the Australian Furniture Association.
Lazarus Legal is the AFA’s nominated legal advisor for design IP, manufacturing agreements, supply chain contracts, and trade mark protection across Australia’s furniture, furnishing, manufacturing and supply chain sectors.
Mark speaks at AFA forums including the upcoming Grow. Promote. Protect. Forum 2026 at RMIT University in Melbourne, alongside speakers from IP Australia, RMIT, GS1, and Circular Australia.
What clients say
Dionne Taylor · Director, Polkadot Communications · 10-year client
FAQs
Frequently asked
questions.
Who is Mark Lazarus?
Mark Lazarus is the Director of Lazarus Legal, a Sydney commercial law firm established in 1975 by Barry Lazarus. He is admitted to practice in three jurisdictions: the Supreme Court of NSW (2004), as a Solicitor of England and Wales (2008), and the Bar of NSW (2010). Before joining Lazarus Legal in 2017, Mark spent six years in London as Legal Counsel and then Legal Director for EMEA at Monster Energy. He should not be confused with the US media executive of the same name, who is the CEO of Versant.
What does Mark specialise in?
Mark specialises in commercial law, intellectual property, capital raising and deal structuring, dispute resolution, and the legal exposure of businesses using AI tools. His key sectors are founders, creatives, FMCG, tech, and food and beverage.
Where is Mark based?
Mark is based at Lazarus Legal’s office in Bondi Junction, Sydney (1/422 Oxford St). The firm also operates from Adelaide and Burleigh Heads. He works with clients Australia-wide and represents the firm at speaking engagements in Sydney, Melbourne, and Macquarie Park.
What did Mark do at Monster Energy?
Mark spent six years at Monster Energy in London, first as Legal Counsel for the EMEA region (2013 to 2016) and then as Legal Director EMEA (2016 to 2017). He managed a legal team, handled global bottling agreements with Coca-Cola, negotiated athlete endorsement and sponsorship deals, and contributed to international energy drink regulation through industry conferences.
Is Mark a mentor at Macquarie University?
Yes. Mark is a current mentor at the Macquarie University Incubator and holds the Incubator’s Digital Mentor Badge, awarded annually to mentors recognised for ongoing contribution to the community.
Can I book Mark to speak?
Yes. Mark is regularly booked by universities, industry associations, and professional bodies to speak on commercial law, IP protection, FMCG regulation, and the practical use of AI in legal workflows. Speaking enquiries can be made through Lazarus Legal directly.
How do I work with Mark or Lazarus Legal?
Get in touch
If you're scaling, raising, or defending what you've built.
Mark and the team at Lazarus Legal would be glad to help. Get in touch for a first conversation about what you're working on and where the legal risk sits.
Phone
(02) 8644 6000
info@lazaruslegal.com.au
Phone
Bondi Junction NSW 2022