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.
Founders advised
Recovered through IP enforcement
Trade marks registered
Capital raises structured
SYDNEY · AUSTRALIA
TL;DR
Who is
Mark Lazarus?
Mark Lazarus is the Director of Lazarus Legal, a Sydney commercial law firm established in 1975. He has more than 20 years of legal experience across private practice, the NSW Bar, and senior in-house roles, including six years as Legal Counsel and then Legal Director for EMEA at Monster Energy in London. Mark is admitted to practise before the Supreme Court of NSW and the NSW Bar, and is also admitted 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.
Career Highlights & Credentials
Role
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’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.
At Monster, Mark served as Legal Counsel for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), before being named Legal Director for the region in 2016. 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.
After six years of legal work for Monster Energy, Mark joined Lazarus Legal as Director in 2017.
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.
Presenting at the Great Room
Mark Lazarus with the Lazarus Team
Legal Career Timeline
BBA/LLB, Macquarie University
Expanded practice rights to a second jurisdiction
Practised from Edmund Barton Chambers and Second Floor Selborne Chambers
2015-2016
Advised on commercial, sponsorship, and distribution matters across EMEA in-house in London
Led legal operations across EMEA, supervising everything from global bottling agreements to athlete endorsements
Practises in Sydney across commercial, IP, capital raises and dispute resolution
I change the ending.
– Mark Lazarus
Mark's Commercial
Legal Expertise
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 time. Few business lawyers have spent years inside a global brand as protective of its intellectual property as Monster Energy, where Mark led trade mark enforcement as part of the company’s worldwide brand protection strategy.
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 hundreds of legal documents, including shareholder agreements, founder agreements, employment contracts, supplier and distribution agreements, and the everyday commercial contracts 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 that discuss 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
After studying 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
Professional Contributions
& Thought Leadership
A recurring speaker at university incubators, peak industry bodies, and professional associations across Australia.
Media
Interviews, Podcasts, & Appearances
Guest appearance · Ep 93 · 31 min
You Believe In What You Do!
The CUSP Podcast, hosted by Tom Hitchcock · July 2025
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 Gerben 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
Articles
& Commentary
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.
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.
Leadership
Board & Advisory Roles
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
I’ve been using Mark from Lazarus Legal for the last decade to assist my PR agency with contracts, agreements, trade marks, and general advice. He’s
fast working, authentic and generous with his advice.
Dionne Taylor · Director, Polkadot Communications · 10-year client
FAQs
Common Questions
About Mark
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?
Engagements with Mark begin with a consultation through Lazarus Legal. The firm offers what Mark describes as an Advisor-on-Tap or external in-house counsel service: practical, embedded, and fixed-scope where possible. You can reach Lazarus Legal on (02) 8644 6000 or through the contact form below.
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
info@lazaruslegal.com.au
Address
Bondi Junction NSW 2022