On 25 September, Australia’s Foreign Investment Review Board issued 2 guidance notes, designed to clarify Australia’s foreign investment policy in 2 key areas - acquisition of agricultural land and...
The High Court recently handed down its much anticipated judgment in Mighty River International Limited v Hughes, confirming that ‘holding’ deeds of company arrangement can be valid under the...
The High Court has refused to grant the Queensland State Government (Qld Government) special leave to appeal the Queensland Court of Appeal’s March 2018 decision in favour of the liquidators of...
The NSW EPA has recently announced a new framework which can be used to force environmental offenders to pay back any profits which they have made due to their offending behaviour. This will be...
Employers can no longer assume that casual employees are not entitled to paid annual leave.
Last month, the Full Federal Court ordered Japanese company Yazaki Corporation (Yazaki) to pay a penalty of $46 million for engaging in cartel conduct in contravention of the Competition and...
A recent decision handed down by Justice Pain of the Land and Environment Court has changed the way that waste laws in NSW are applied by overturning a seminal waste case and providing guidance on...
From Monday next week the much hyped stay on ipso facto rights in certain contracts will be law. The relevant Legislation, Regulations and Declarations commence this Sunday, 1 July 2018.
The Treasury Laws Amendment (Enhancing Whistleblower Protections) Bill 2017), which is currently before the Senate, consolidates the existing whistleblowers’ regime in the corporate and financial...
Workplace investigations are becoming more common in the employment landscape. Australian courts have been required to scrutinise the extent to which an employer owes a duty to their employees.
South Australia and Queensland have recently introduced new labour hire licensing legislation to provide greater protections for workers and accountability for employers in the labour hire industry.
The Long Service Leave Act 2018 (Vic) (Act) received Royal Assent on 15 May 2018 and will repeal and replace the Long Service Leave Act 1992 (Vic).
JWS recently conducted an analysis of Class 5 proceedings determined by the Land and Environment Court (LEC) in the last five years.
On 1 June 2018, ASIC released Consultation Paper 301 in connection with the Australian financial services (AFS) licensing exemptions applicable to foreign financial service providers (FFSP...
Lee J’s recent decision in Perera v GetSwift Ltd to allow only one overlapping class action to proceed (the Webb Proceeding) and to permanently stay the other two Federal Court actions (Perera and...
The ability of creditors to rely upon the statutory set-off provision in section 553C of the Corporations Act to reduce or eliminate their exposure to unfair preference claims has been a matter of...
In the Federal budget handed down on Tuesday 8 May 2018, Treasurer Scott Morrison announced major changes to “better target” the research & development (R&D) tax incentive.
This special edition of Acumen discusses the key taxation reforms announced on the evening of 8 May 2018 by Treasurer Scott Morrison in the 2018 Australian Federal Budget.
This Update covers a range of important developments in Australia and overseas in the area of foreign bribery policy, investigations and regulation to 1 May 2018. These developments will impact on...
The entitlement to recover remuneration and costs for work performed in conducting an external administration is an ever-present fundamental concern for insolvency practitioners.
This 2018 edition of Review highlights a selection of the significant public assignments undertaken by us over the past year, as well as major legislative and policy developments occurring over...
A recent decision has excited debate about the application of Australia’s income tax law to limited partnerships, particularly private equity and venture capital funds.
Any potential foreign investor must consider the implications of the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) regime, as it may relate to any proposed transaction involving companies in the mining...
Recent decisions by the Treasurer of Australia indicate a growing trend towards the imposition of data control conditions in connection with foreign investment approvals. Investors should allow for...