531-540 of 718 results
Significant 'blow' for penalties claims
Today the Full Federal Court clarified the law of penalties as it applies to fees The key development is that in considering whether the amount of a fee is extravagant and exorbitant compared to the potential costs incurred in dealing with a failure to perform an obligation the court held that ...
Finality: an important objective of class actions
The recent Great Southern class action settlement included a term by which group members acknowledged and admitted that loans taken out with independent financiers to finance investments in Great Southern managed investment schemes were valid and enforceable Two separate Victorian Supreme Court ...
Productivity Commission - Access to Justice Arrangements report and recommendations
The Access to Justice Arrangements report proposes broad-ranging reforms to our civil justice system with the aim of improving access to justice Partner Belinda Thompson and Lawyer Annie Santamaria highlight some recommendations which also have the potential to impact more broadly on Australias ...
The hotel window closes - no vulnerability where a contract exists
The High Court recently overturned a NSW Court of Appeal decision that stated a building contractor owed a duty of care for pure economic loss for defective work to a successor in title to the developer of commercial premises. ...
Record penalties a reminder of product safety obligations
Record US penalties recently imposed on car manufacturers for failures to deal appropriately with safety defects are a timely reminder to Australian manufacturers of their product safety obligations Partner Belinda Thompson Senior Associate Jaime McKenzie and Lawyer Ishwar Singh report ...
Does legal professional privilege apply to communications with third-party commercial advisers?
Parties involved in large-scale commercial transactions with non-lawyer third-party advisers need to be aware that communications with these advisers will rarely be protected by legal professional privilege following a recent Federal Court decision ...
Subpoenas under the IAA: Foreign-seated arbitrations need not apply
A recent Federal Court decision suggests a narrow approach to judicial support of international arbitrations limiting access to evidence located in Australia for parties of foreign-seated arbitrations Partner Nick Rudge and Overseas Lawyer Caroline Swartz-Zern report ...
Supply chains and modern slavery: reporting on the rise
The release of the Attorney-Generals consultation paper on modern slavery in supply chains and the recent interim inquiry report on establishing an Australian Modern Slavery Act reflect how international standards around corporate respect for human rights are becoming enshrined in law Australian ...
The BEAR roars into action
The Federal Government has released the exposure draft of the Treasury Laws Amendment Banking Executive Accountability and Related Measures Bill together with a draft Explanatory Memoradum This follows on from the release of the Banking Executive Accountability Regime BEAR consultation paper in July ...
Increased responsibility for franchisors under new laws
From 27 October 2017, franchisors may be liable if their franchisees contravene certain workplace laws. Senior Associate Chloe Wilton reports on practical steps that franchisors can take to reduce the risk of being held liable under these new laws. ...