The pandemic has laid bare Australia’s overextended and under-invested social and affordable housing market. We look at some of the investment initiatives that have been pursued to date by the state governments. We  also suggest some regulatory and planning changes that can be made.

A decision in a ‘wage underpayment’ class action (Simon Alexander Turner v Tesa Mining) examines the extent to which funders can be liable for costs in Fair Work Act proceedings.

We consider the key proposed changes under, and implications of, Vietnam’s new Draft Decree amending the current Decree No. 52/2013/ND-CP on e-commerce.

Federal Court orders penalties against Viagogo; ACCC commences new civil proceedings; Rod Sims continues to advocate for law changes; and other developments

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On 6 November 2020, the Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia handed down its much anticipated decision dismissing the Commissioner’s appeal (save for one issue) against Glencore Investment Pty Ltd in a significant transfer pricing dispute.

In our latest update, we examine the progress of new and existing rule change requests to the AEMC across the month of October, as well as take a closer look at the Data Strategy proposed by the ESB.

The Federal Court has confirmed that government restrictions on travel and quarantine measures stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic caused a stoppage of work for the purpose of stand downs initiated by Qantas and Jetstar under their enterprise agreements.

A senior employee was awarded $5.2m after he was dismissed, with the Federal Court deciding his employer took adverse action against him and hence breached his employment contract.

After 17 months of consultation and internal review, APRA has released its revised draft prudential standard on remuneration (CPS 511) seeking to regulate incentive structures across all APRA-regulated entities.

WA has joined the harmonised work health and safety regime, in line with NSW, Queensland, South Australia, the Northern Territory and Tasmania. Victoria will continue to operate under a separate regime.

The government yesterday introduced into Parliament the Financial Sector Reform (Hayne Royal Commission Response) Bill 2020 to implement a large number of the Hayne Royal Commission recommendations. Many provisions have a start date of 1 January 2021, and some don’t have a transition period.

A heightened risk of foreign interference and a shift towards enforcement of the new foreign influence and interference legislation means it is now critical to consider any compliance risks your business may face.

Build-to-Rent (BTR) helps drive economic productivity, and with the right government intervention, could not only play a key role in Australia’s economic recovery from COVID-19, but also ensure the future liveability and resilience of our cities.

The Therapeutics Goods Administration is proposing amendments to the Poisons Standard to permit pharmacists to sell low-dose cannabidiol (CBD) products without a prescription. Businesses intending to import, manufacture and supply cannabis products in the Australian market ought monitor this closely

We consider the key implications arising from the Attorney-General’s long-awaited review of the Privacy Act – a key part of the Government’s response to the ACCC’s Digital Platforms Inquiry. The review seeks to strengthen privacy protections for individuals and streamline compliance for businesses.

ASIC concludes stub equity consultation; FIRB amending legislation introduced; FIRB updates guidance on tax conditions; proposal to make electronic signing and virtual meetings permanent; and other corporate law developments

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Banksy has lost his trade mark rights to his notorious Flower Thrower artwork in the EU. The EUIPO’s decision reflects on bad faith registrations in the EU and offers other important food for thought in the context of trade mark and copyright law.

McDonald’s has sued Hungry Jack’s in an effort to have the latter’s trade mark, Big Jack, cancelled based on various grounds. Regardless of the outcome, the case is a timely reminder to use caution when employing comparative advertising against competitors.