Daniel Smedley

Principal

Accredited Specialist in Tax Law

+61 411 319 327
+61 3 9611 0105
dsmedley@sladen.com.au

Daniel enjoys solving complex taxation and trust law issues for private enterprises who share his entrepreneurial spirit. He is a trusted confidant in designing and implementing robust personal and business succession plans. Daniel’s commitment to protecting and enhancing the commercial and personal interests of his clients consistently delivers great outcomes.

He is a regular presenter at state and national industry conventions, conferences and workshops.

Daniel is a Chartered Tax Advisor with The Tax Institute, accredited as a specialist in Taxation Law with the Law Institute of Victoria, and the principal author of the Trust Structures Guide, recognised by The Tax Institute as "the leading resource for anyone advising on trusts, structuring and planning issues".

In 2023, Daniel was recognised as "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers® in Melbourne, Australia for Trusts and Estates (2024) and wealth management/succession planning practice. Lawyer of the Year is awarded to the lawyer with the highest overall peer feedback for a specific practice area and geographic region. This is the sixth consecutive year that Daniel has been listed in the publication in Tax Law.

Always keen to explore new opportunities, Daniel is driven by the belief that "a lot of the things that seem ridiculously small and inconsequential right now, will eventually cast a shadow that people will be chasing for decades".

Daniel’s areas of practice include:

Federal and State tax law advice and dispute management
Tax efficient commercial contracts and transactions
Design and implementation of tax sensitive business and personal succession plans
Design and implementation of tax sensitive business and investment structures
Trust law advice and structuring
Wealth preservation advice
Intellectual property identification and protection

Professional associations and awards:

Chartered Tax Adviser - The Tax Institute
Named “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers for Trusts and Estates, Melbourne, Australia (2024),
Named “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers for Wealth Management / Succession Planning Practice, Melbourne, Australia (2024)
Named “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers for Tax Law, Melbourne, Australia (2022).
Recognised in The Best Lawyers in Australia 2024 for work in Tax Law for six consecutive years.
Listed in Doyles Guide, Leading Tax Lawyers, Victoria from 2016 - 2023
Member of the Law Institute of Victoria’s Taxation and Revenue Law Committee
Member of the Program Committee for The Tax Institute’s National Convention

Download a PDF version of Daniel Smedley's Professional Profile

“But, to the extent that your sanity can bear it, always keep an eye on the corners, the edges, and especially learn to watch for those infinitesimally tiny figures starting to shuffle around near the horizon. Because a lot of the things that seem ridiculously small and inconsequential right now will eventually cast a shadow that people will be chasing for decades. It’s just that we’re never sure which tiny figure that will turn out to be.”

— Merlin Mann

Daniel Smedley has been recognised across three categories in Best Lawyers as "Lawyer of the Year" for Trusts and Estates, “Lawyer of the Year” Wealth Management / Succession Planning Practice and Tax Law. An extraordinary accolade for Daniel’s work across these practice areas. Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is honoured as the "Lawyer of the Year" making this a significant and coveted recognition. These lawyers are selected based on particularly impressive voting averages received during the peer review assessments.

Daniel was listed as Recommended in the 2023 listing of leading Victorian Tax Lawyers details solicitors practising in taxation advisory and disputes matters in the Victorian legal market who have been identified by clients and peers for their expertise in the area.

Daniel Smedley was recognised by Best Lawyers as the "Lawyer of the Year" for Tax Law in Melbourne. An extraordinary accolade for Daniel’s work in the field of Tax Law. “Lawyer of the Year” is awarded to the lawyer with the highest overall peer feedback for a specific practice area and geographic region.