Achieving the target of net zero remains at the forefront for the energy industry. As we increase investment in renewables and look for ways to improve efficiencies, new challenges emerge. Helpfully, there are a range of mitigation and management strategies that can be put in place to reduce risk and smooth the transition. In this Insight we outline some of those practical steps, including ones specifically geared towards managing or avoiding potential disputes during the development stages of a project. ...

ASIC takes 'no action' position on virtual meetings but no such luck for electronic signatures; Fair Work Act amendments clarify the definition of casual employment; ASX Listing Rule amendments to commence from 5 June 2021; ASX updates Guidance Note 19: Performance Securities; Takeovers Panel remakes procedural rules; APRA provides guidance to ADIs on the use of indemnities in divestment transactions. ...

One of the issues a target board will need to consider when assessing a takeover by a foreign bidder is the mitigation of FIRB completion risk in the transaction, and the appropriate allocation of any residual risk between the bidder and the target. This is particularly an issue where the target's business includes critical infrastructure or raises national security issues. ...

In a decision showing the importance of not jumping to conclusions, a senior employee was awarded $276,681 in damages after his contract was terminated for alleged serious misconduct – just one working day before he would have been entitled to a redundancy payment. ...

This handbook gives an overview of the rules that govern takeovers of, and acquisitions of voting securities in, Australian publicly listed companies and trusts. It includes how to undertake or respond to a takeover proposal for an Australian publicly listed company or trust and the legal issues which commonly arise in Australian takeover transactions. ...

The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and healthcare provider International Health and Medical Services (IHMS) have been charged with breaching WHS laws following the suicide of a detainee at the Villawood immigration detention facility in March 2019. ...

In our latest update, we examine the progress of new and existing rule change requests to the AEMC across the month of March, as well as take a closer look at the AER's first steps in developing the Wholesale Demand Response Participation Guidelines. ...

Duck v Airservices Australia (No 3) is the latest in a series of cases that have grappled with the intersection of employment class actions, litigation funders and the traditionally 'no costs' jurisdiction of the Fair Work Act. We examine the decision and its potential impacts on employment class action risk. ...

The Australian Government has released an exposure draft of the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Amendment (Titles Administration and Other Measures) Bill 2021. In particular, the Bill proposes that the Titles Administrator will have approval rights in relation to changes of control of titleholders (defined by reference to a 20% rather than 50% ownership benchmark), introduces trailing liability for prior titleholders in respect of decommissioning, and enhances the assessment criteria for entities applying to operate, or increase their activities, in offshore oil and gas. ...

The Explanation of Intended Effect for the proposed Design and Place SEPP, presently on public exhibition, signals major change to the assessment requirements for all development in NSW. Improving design outcomes in the built environment is important, but will the proposed SEPP be the right vehicle to achieve this objective, or will it add another layer to an already complex planning system? ...