Natalie Franks
CEO AND LEGAL COUNSEL
Natalie is our CEO. Clients value Natalie’s breadth of industry knowledge, her commercial approach and personable style.
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws (Honours)
- Harvard Business School (Women’s Leadership Forum, 2013)
- London Business School (Growth Forum, 2020)
Natalie has been providing legal services to the public and private health sectors for over 27 years and prior to commencing at Health Legal was a partner in a large national law firm. Natalie advises Senior Executives and Boards of Management on exposure to liabilities, good governance, contractual relationships, and strategic issues.
Natalie has been involved in managing and documenting substantial information technology, clinical and non-clinical tendering and outsourcing projects. She has also drafted a vast range and number of supply and service agreements for both the profit and not for profit sectors. Natalie has provided a wide range of advice impacting on the health, research and aged care sectors covering all aspects of the operation of those organisations including common law and legislative requirements.
Natalie has acted as probity auditor and provided probity advice for significant public hospital clinical and non-clinical outsourcing arrangements.
In 2004 Natalie developed a legislative compliance product for health care and welfare providers, focusing specifically on the needs of both the public and private sectors. The register covers all Commonwealth and State legislation and regulations which apply to health care, welfare and aged care providers.
As one of the Legal Counsel of Health Legal, Natalie has responsibility for all litigation and court matters in which Health Legal has represented parties. These matters include proceedings in the High Court of Australia, the Family Court, the Supreme Court of Victoria, the County Court, the Magistrates’ Court, the Coroners’ Court and VCAT.
Expertise & Interests
- Liability, good governance and strategic advice
- Contracts and commercial advice (in particular, goods and services procurement contracts)
- Probity and tendering advice
- Legislative compliance and advisory services
- Health law common law and legislative obligations
Memberships
- Former member of the Federal Minister of Health and Aged Care’s National Taskforce examining introduction of electronic health records throughout Australia (HealthConnect)
- Law Institute of Victoria
- American Health Lawyers Association
- Australian Corporate Lawyers Association
Awards
From 2008-2023 Natalie has been recognised annually by The Best Lawyers™ in Australia in the field of Health & Aged Care Law in Melbourne.
In addition, Natalie has also been recognised as “Lawyer of the Year” in Health & Aged Care Law in Melbourne in 2012, 2017 and 2020, as selected by her legal peers (and published by The Best Lawyers™ in Australia). Only a single lawyer in each practice area in each community is given this honour.
Natalie has also once again been recognised by Doyles Guide, most recently as a Preeminent Health and Aged Care Lawyer in Victoria in 2023, and as Leading Health and Aged Care Lawyer in Victoria in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Doyle’s recognition is based upon an extensive independent review process and consultation with clients, peers and relevant industry bodies.
In 2012, Natalie was also awarded the exclusive honour of being Australia’s best solicitor in the area of Healthcare/Life Sciences by International Law Office Client Choice Awards.
Client Feedback
Clients value Natalie’s breadth of industry knowledge, her commercial approach and personable style. Clients have said the following about Natalie:
- Her breadth of industry knowledge, commercial approach and personable style set her apart from her competitors.
- Natalie is a strong communicator. Her skill set has enabled her to move beyond being merely a legal advisor, to being a trusted adviser in a much broader sense.
- Her extensive expertise greatly assists us in gaining timely and cost-efficient advice.
- Natalie has the ability to relate to clinical staff and explain complex legal matters in such a way that the issues are easily understood, facilitating an agreed course of action.
- Her commercial contracts, in particular, demonstrate high levels of legal and business acumen.
- She always delivers on time.