After almost 10 years of negotiations between the nations on 17 November 2014 Prime Minister Abbott and President Xi announced the conclusion of negotiations on the China Australia Free Trade Agreement ChAFTA Once implemented the ChAFTA is expected to significantly reduce import barriers for ...

Just over six months after the release of the Exposure Draft for the new Franchising Code of Conduct the new-look Code has been finalised and enacted Partners Tim Golder and Andrew Wiseman and Lawyer Julia Kovarsky report on the practical implications for franchisors ...

With financial services providers already taking advantage of the possibilities created by a new tide of internet meta data we need regulators and a regulatory regime that see the opportunities implicit in the change and not only the risks ...

The Access to Justice Arrangements report proposes broad-ranging reforms to our civil justice system with the aim of improving access to justice Partner Belinda Thompson and Lawyer Annie Santamaria highlight some recommendations which also have the potential to impact more broadly on Australias ...

The Australian Government has announced that from 1 March 2015 acquisitions of agricultural land worth more than A15 million and any additional acquisitions over and above that amount will require government approval It will also establish a foreign ownership register of agricultural land ...

The recent Great Southern class action settlement included a term by which group members acknowledged and admitted that loans taken out with independent financiers to finance investments in Great Southern managed investment schemes were valid and enforceable Two separate Victorian Supreme Court ...

Industry Super Australias proposed Inverted Bid Model has generated a lot of interest and discussion At a recent industry symposium participants were invited to explore the model with a view to further refining it for application in the Australian infrastructure market Partner David Donnelly poses ...

Key cyber risks faced by ASICs regulated population as well as the legal and compliance obligations to manage those risks are highlighted in a new ASIC report ASIC also identifies steps entities can take to address the risks The report marks a growing focus on cyber security issues by ASIC which is ...

Dismissing employees whether for under-performance or misconduct has always been a difficult task in Vietnam given the strongly pro-employee labour legislation However the Government has recently issued new legislation in an attempt to level the playing field and create a clearer avenue for ...

On 31 March 2015 the Indonesian central bank Bank Indonesia issued Bank Indonesia Regulation No 173PBI2015 on the Obligation to Use Rupiah in the Territories of Indonesia the Regulation which further implements the provision restricting the use of foreign currency in transactions within Indonesian ...