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27 July 2020
Amendments to Queensland’s security of payment regime
Amendments to Queensland’s Building Industry Fairness (Security of Payment) Act 2017 ( BIF Act ) have now passed, simplifying the project bank account framework and amending the rights and obligations of all parties involved in construction contracts in Queensland.
23 July 2020
Pressure points: Insurance cover for COVID-19 related financial losses? (Australia)
There has been significant debate about insurance coverage for financial losses associated with COVID-19. Uncertainty exists because of the absence of any ‘physical damage’ to insured property, 1 which typically triggers the ‘business interruption’ ( BI ) coverage in the industry standard...
21 July 2020
Using big data to fight financial crime
In a regulatory environment which demands ever higher standards for anti-money laundering ( AML ) compliance, many financial institutions have responded by significantly increasing headcount in their AML functions, often at significant cost. However, an investment in headcount alone may not yield...
21 July 2020
Regulators lead businesses in monitoring of misconduct
As regulators and law enforcement increasingly rely on advanced data analytics for monitoring and surveillance, the risk is growing that they will detect misconduct by employees and customers that has gone undetected by a company’s own internal systems.
08 July 2020
Significant changes in effect in Queensland for resource authorities holders and large scale mining leases
Update: On 7 September 2020 key provisions of the Mineral and Energy Resources and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2020 (Qld) ( the Amendment Act ) commenced. Resource authority holders should be aware that the changes introduced through the Amendment Act now apply to all direct transfers, change...
05 June 2020
Declarations extended for CQCN, Queensland Rail and DBCT services
The Queensland Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure and Planning on 31 May 2020 declared Central Queensland Coal Network services ( CQCN services ), parts of the Queensland Rail service ( QR service ) and Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal services ( DBCT services ) as services under sections 84-87...
26 May 2020
Australian Federal Government eases continuous disclosure rules
Yesterday, the Australian Federal Government modified the continuous disclosure provisions of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) ( Corporations Act ) in an effort to provide temporary relief to companies and officers for a six month period from today.
22 May 2020
COVID-19: Initial responses of certain African countries (Africa)
More than 2 months after the WHO declared the novel coronavirus a pandemic on 11 March 2020, the epicentre of the outbreak has shifted from Asia, where it first appeared in late 2019, to the USA, which still has the highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths. While initial fears were focused on...
09 April 2020
Exploring Opportunities: Managing competition issues whilst allowing businesses to collaborate (Australia)
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a rush of applications to the ACCC seeking to authorise coordination as between competitors which might otherwise contravene provisions of the Competition and Consumer Act ( CCA ) .
20 March 2020
COVID-19: Pressure Points: Measures adopted by the Spanish Government for the energy sector (Spain)
In recent days the Spanish Government has approved a series of provisions to tackle the crisis caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. Those provisions adopt a set of measures that have differing impact on a number of business sectors.
18 February 2020
Covid-19: Governance: Insurance losses and considerations for policyholders (Australia)
The various restrictions being put in place to contain the spread of COVID-19 are causing significant disruption to supply chain logistics for businesses all over the world. Many Australian policyholders are asking: can the adverse financial consequences of the interruption be claimed on insurance...
30 January 2020
Unfolding privacy class actions in Australia
Claimants in Australia face a number of challenges to successfully bringing a privacy class action, including the absence of a clear cause of action and difficulties in quantifying loss. Despite the challenges, on 9 December 2019, the Supreme Court of NSW in Evans v Health Administration...
29 January 2020
Is US government inaction on climate change a breach of the constitution?
A United States court has recently been asked to consider whether the federal government’s inaction in relation to climate change breaches the United States constitution. The court (by a majority of two to one) reluctantly found that they did not have jurisdiction to order the government to redress...
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01 November 2021
Exclusive Content: In Support of NBCF - Pink Ribbon 2021 with The Australian Ballet
In support of the Australian National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) and breast cancer awareness month, we are delighted to bring you two exclusive on-demand videos featuring an update from NBCF and a focus on wellness from The Australian Ballet.
29 October 2021
COVID-19 Business interruption Insurance – Round 1 of Second ICA test case to insurers
Insurers have won the first round of the Second ICA test case on business interruption insurance cover for losses arising from COVID-19 related causes. But the devil is in the detail of Justice Jagot’s judgment, and if one key finding is reversed on appeal then policyholders with cover for...
28 October 2021
Tools down: a review of modern slavery obligations in the construction sector
The term "modern slavery" covers a range of serious human rights violations, including human trafficking, slavery, forced labour, debt bondage, and the worst forms of child labour. Some may assume that such grave offences could only occur in the most extreme circumstances, perhaps in developing...
25 October 2021
The final Senate report on Australia as a tech and finance hub – An opportunity missed
The Senate Select Committee on Australia as a Technology and Financial Centre produced its Final Report on 20 October 2021 which supplements its recommendations in its first two interim reports. For the Committee’s recommendations in its second interim report, see our Article available here .
21 October 2021
Australian Consumer Law - 10 Years Old and Really Growing Up
During this session our diverse group of panellists, including representatives from the ACCC, Telstra and Choice, explored the impact of the ACL on corporate Australia, the role of enforcement as compared to other forms of regulatory persuasion, the management of ACL risks within a large...
18 October 2021
Public Law Project: Judicial Review Trends and Forecasts conference 2021
We are delighted to be supporting the Public Law Project again in running its annual Judicial Review Trends and Forecasts conference. This year the conference will take place as a week of online seminars on the theme of 'accountability and the constitution'.
08 October 2021
Onwards and Upwards: In celebration of Black History Month
Making the time and effort to understand each other's lived experiences is an important part of our commitment to building a more inclusive culture in which everyone can thrive. Capturing these experiences through the eyes of colleagues enables us to collectively take another step towards a society...
06 October 2021
Taking the Floor: Government proposes to legislate a recovery presumption for funded class action group members
On 30 September 2021, the Department of Treasury opened consultation on new laws which, if enacted in their proposed form, will introduce new hurdles for litigation funders intended to ensure fairer returns for group members in future funded class actions.
06 October 2021
Webinar: Cross-border restructurings: how UK schemes may benefit businesses in Asia Pacific
Jurisdictions across the globe have sought to expand their restructuring toolkits – spurred on by Governments seeking to support business during the pandemic. This has had a significant impact on the options available when restructuring business in Asia Pacific.
05 October 2021
Delivering Alternative Excellence
Fresh from scooping the title of Alternative Service Provider of the Year at the recently held African Legal Awards, Vanessa Kingsmill and Naseem Ameer-Mia of Herbert Smith Freehills chatted to Africa Legal’s Tom Pearson about their recipe for success.
05 October 2021
Parliamentary intelligence body backs two-step adoption for Australia's new critical infrastructure bill
On 29 September, the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security ( PJCIS ) published its advisory report on the Security Legislation Amendment (Critical Infrastructure) Bill 2020. 1
05 October 2021
Government planning significant extension to UK's pensions notifiable events regime for corporates
The government has confirmed it plans to make long-anticipated changes to the UK's pensions notifiable events regime. The changes, first floated in 2018 and now confirmed (subject to consultation), are almost certain to mean that corporates will be required to give the Pensions Regulator and...