The Court, in the biggest merger litigation in Australia in 10 years, found against the ACCC and held that the merger would not have the likely effect of substantially lessening competition. Fiona ...

A parliamentary inquiry has been announced into whether Australia should introduce a legislation authorising the government to impose sanctions against gross human right abusers. ...

This latest guide looks at developments at the end of last year and the beginning of 2020. It covers: Brexit and the transition, final-form recommendations for audit and auditor reform, new stewardship obligations for investors, tougher new anti-money laundering rules, FRC guidance for this year's annual reports and Section 172 statements, the extension of the FCA's Senior Manager regime, market abuse, ESG and climate, private equity reporting, transparency of ownership of UK real estate and late payment. ...

The United Kingdom High Court (the Court) recently handed down its judgment in Amey Highways Ltd v West Sussex County Council, which considered the abandonment of a government procurement process following a breach of relevant procurement regulations by a public agency. For government departments and agencies in particular, this case clarifies when a public agency can abandon a procurement process and what remedies may be available to bidders in these circumstances. ...

At a time when global powers continue to test international trade rules, a World Trade Organization decision involving Australian tariffs on Indonesian A4 copy paper highlights some of the key legal issues that caused tension between international trading partners in 2019. ...

Digital Platforms Inquiry Final Report released, Takeovers Panel considers board discretions and process deed disclosure requirements and other corporate law developments ...

The last 18 months were a busy time for product safety. Consumers found redress via the courts (in the form of class actions) and the regulator (in the form of product recalls). ...

The Federal Court has handed down the first judgment in a shareholder class action. There is plenty in the decision for board members and senior executives to consider in the application of the continuous disclosure laws. ...

The High Court's first decision on the financial assistance prohibition in section 260A of the Corporations Act supports a conservative approach to the prohibition, and in particular highlights the danger of 'taking a view' on the no material prejudice exception. ...

The Australian Law Reform Commission released for consultation today a set of proposals aimed at overhauling the federal corporate criminal responsibility regime. This comes in the wake of criticisms that the current system is ineffective in preventing, deterring and prosecuting serious corporate crime. Whilst the reforms offer a clearer, consistent and more rational framework for addressing corporate misconduct in Australia, some elements (such as the adoption of a general 'associate' model for criminal attribution) will no doubt raise concern given their capacity to significantly extend corporate liability. We examine some of the key proposals and their likely impact. Partner Christopher Kerrigan and Senior Overseas Practitioner Cindy McNair report. ...