In New Aim Pty Ltd v Leung the Federal Court of Australia rejected an expert report and oral evidence from a purportedly independent expert witness, on the basis that the solicitors who retained the expert had written her report. The case is a timely reminder of best (and worst) practices in the engagement of independent expert witnesses and the importance of preserving an expert's independence. ...

A recent decision of the New South Wales Supreme Court considered a multi-tiered dispute resolution provision that required negotiation and expert determination before a party could refer a dispute to arbitration. In a move away from earlier authorities, the court found that the agreement to arbitrate in such a clause was 'operative' even if the negotiation and mediation steps had not yet been satisfied. The decision takes a broad view of when Australian courts must refer disputes to arbitration. ...

Class action risk is changing. While filings remain high, consumer claims now dominate and, for the first time in over a decade, the banking sector is not the biggest target.  ...

Over the past decade, there has been a significant increase in the pace and scale of regulatory investigations and enforcement activity, including a spate of high profile royal commissions and inquiries into potential wrongdoing by institutions, companies, and their directors and officers. ...

2022 will provide a practical demonstration of the appetite for ESG-led change that governments, major corporates and financial institutions all have, and how far this will feed into smaller businesses and everyday life. We explore key ESG themes shaping the legal outlook for businesses in 2022. ...

In the recent decision of Addy v Commissioner of Taxation, the High Court ruled that the so-called 'backpacker tax' contravened the non-discrimination article contained in the double tax agreement between Australia and the United Kingdom (UK). ...

Pressure is emerging from multiple angles – regulation, investors, employees and communities – to have a proactive approach to ESG issues. In this Insight, we highlight current trends in ESG disputes and outline the key strategies companies should be implementing right now to mitigate ESG disputes risk. ...

Last week, the Federal Government published its long-awaited response to the ALRC and Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services Report's inquiries into class actions. ...

There is a growing appetite for litigation and regulatory enforcement in the insurance industry. In the wake of the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry (the Financial Services ...

The Supreme Court of Victoria has provided significant first guidance on the operation of its new group costs order regime for class actions. ...