In the face of the increasing concerns over coronavirus (COVID-19), many travel-exposed businesses (whether concerning customers, suppliers or staff) are urgently reviewing their Business Continuity Planning. We don’t want to be alarmist, but we thought we would provide some basic tips for those of you who do not necessarily think it may affect you – … Read more
There is a little bit of hype about the Victorian State Revenue Office’s change in its administrative policy in relation to the treatment of ‘foreign persons’ under discretionary trusts for stamp duty purposes, which is due to come into effect from 1 March 2020. In practice, if you are considering purchasing a residential property (or … Read more
By Angelo Mazzone (Trainee Lawyer) and Greg Oliver (Principal Solicitor) In these days of increasing wealth transfer, the instances of a person in a relationship receiving a substantial gift or inheritance are more common than not. Perhaps more importantly, the size of inheritances is generally growing. When that is considered together with the very high … Read more
By Alexandra Shaw (Lawyer) and David Robbins (Principal Solicitor) A trade mark is a valuable asset and enforcing your rights is an important step in protecting what is rightfully yours. If you are concerned that your trade mark rights are being infringed, it’s important to consider how things could play out before taking action. First … Read more
If you are considering exiting your shareholding in a private company, experience tells us that having a well drafted shareholders’ agreement paves the way for a more certain exit. A shareholders’ agreement is a binding contractual document that regulates the rights and responsibilities of shareholders. But, one size does not fit all! Shareholders’ agreements, like … Read more
This is the third post in a series on adverse action claims, based on a presentation and paper delivered by Michael Cochrane (Special Counsel) on the Television Education Network (TEN) on 13 November 2019. In our previous post, we discussed why and how employees use adverse action provisions during a legitimate performance management process. In this … Read more
Kaufland, part of the world’s fourth largest retailer, Schwartz Group, has announced it will not continue with its plans to commence trading in Australia – despite having broken ground on its first distribution centre, and having gone through the process of securing around 20 Australian sites and associated planning approvals. Unless this is some bizarre … Read more
Sadly, for the applicant, not much “separately” as AAT Deputy President McCabe held in Miley and FCT [2019] AATA 5540 (23 December 2019, reported at 2020 WTB 1 [25]). This issue was agitated by the applicant in his third piece of litigation with the Commissioner. The case highlights the importance of valuation methodologies in tax … Read more
By Chloe McGuinness (Senior Associate) and Kristina Antoniades (Special Counsel) Pet owners invest a lot of time, money and emotion in their pets. For most people, their pets are important and loved members of their family, and it is often devastating when there is a relationship breakdown and there is a dispute about who will … Read more
