About Veena

Veena Bedekar is a safe pair of hands for Commonwealth property, leasing and procurement matters. With almost 20 years' experience, she advises government clients on estate and infrastructure projects, helping them navigate legal, commercial and governance risks while achieving practical outcomes. 

Having advised Commonwealth entities for much of her career, Veena has extensive experience supporting some of the Australian Government's largest property portfolios and regularly advises on projects involving unique security, operational and sustainability requirements. 

Her experience acting for property owners, private healthcare operators and financiers provides her with a balanced and pragmatic understanding of the commercial drivers that underpin negotiations. 

She is also well recognised for her probity and process advisory expertise, assisting government clients with major procurements and projects involving novel commercial structures, complex stakeholder environments and heighted governance requirements. 

For more than four years, Veena has presented the “Lease and its Language” for the Property Council of Australia’s Leasing Fundamentals Program, equipping property professionals with practical skills to interpret and negotiate lease terms. She is an active contributor to the profession, currently serving on the Law Council of Australia’s Business and Human Rights Committee and the firm’s health and safety committee and CALD network. 

Veena is a passionate advocate for inclusion and diversity and was named the 2025 Women Lawyer of the Year – Culturally and Linguistically Diverse by the Women Lawyers’ Association of the ACT.

Experience

• Department of Defence
  • Advising on large scale leasing procurements for office spaces in Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane and Perth. These matters have had complex fitout requirements with security overlays and green leasing requirements.
• National Capital Authority
  • Advising on agreements relating to the construction and maintenance of roads located on National Land, including liaising with stakeholder entities such as the Department of Defence.
• Leasing and licensing
  • Advising corporate and non-corporate Commonwealth entities on leasing and licensing arrangements for shared spaces.
     
  • Advising corporate and non-corporate Commonwealth entities on portfolio leasing/licensing needs nationally, including establishing new office accommodation, renewals, variations, advising on issues arising under existing leases (such as rights to abatement for damage/destruction and the scope of make good obligations), advising on licences for communications equipment, storage areas, agistment and unique operational needs.  This experience includes acting for the Commonwealth as lessor/licensor in leases and licences on Commonwealth owned estate.
     
  • Advising corporate and non-corporate Commonwealth entities on establishing new purpose built or modified premises nationally (including at airports) to exercise statutory functions. 
• Construction and infrastructure
  • Advising Commonwealth entities on construction and infrastructure projects, including a contract to construct a water supply pipeline, procurements of head contractors, architectural services and design contractors.
• Property finance
  • Providing property related advice and assistance to financiers in relation to financing or re-financing various projects in the ACT, including residential apartment complexes, mixed use facilities and hotels. Her work has included leading due diligence, coordinating attendance at settlements and advising on options for enforcing mortgages.
• Probity advice
  • Advising on programs of works for construction and property related procurements nationally (including those in remote and regional areas) and sales of property.
     
  • Business transformation programmes: Advising non-corporate Commonwealth entities on numerous ICT-led business transformation programs.
     
  • Trials of innovative service delivery models: Advising a non-corporate Commonwealth entity on the procurement of providers for a trail of innovative and flexible service delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic.