Since a landmark decision has narrowed available claims against defendants under the Alien Tort Claims Act for alleged violations of customary international law US courts have sought to clarify exactly what geographical connection is required to justify a claim against corporate defendants Partner ...

The availability of an investment agreement with the host government is fundamentally important for a foreign investor considering the development of a large-scale project in a developing country In its continued efforts to recapture inbound direct foreign investment the Government of Mongolia has ...

The difficulty of registering a colour mark or word mark denoting a colour that include issues of market place recognition was highlighted by a recent set of appeals revolving around the use of the word Yellow in a tussle between various business directory goods and service providers Partner Sarah ...

A broadened definition of whistleblower reforms to establish greater protections for whistleblowers and increased sanctions for retaliatory conduct are some of the recommendations by a Senate committee looking into whistleblower protections in the corporate public and not-for-profit sector We expect ...

The Environment Protection Amendment Bill is the first major overhaul of Victorias environmental law in almost 50 years introducing a general environmental duty requiring all Victorian businesses, industry and community members to prevent environmental harm. ...

In a recent decision the Victorian Court of Appeal has held that parties to an arbitration agreement cannot avoid arbitration by seeking to bring the claim in a statutory tribunal Partner Nick Rudge and Lawyer James Waters report on a case that reinforces the trend of Australian courts to give ...

A recent Federal Court decision highlights the importance of managing the provision of information and documentation to third parties with caution in order to preserve legal professional privilege Partner Richard Harris and Senior Associate Elnaz Nikibin report on the case ...

After two years three rounds of public consultation and one aborted attempt Federal Parliament looks likely to pass legislation amending the rules governing when the Australian Taxation Office is required to refund excess GST to a taxpayer ...

The High Court has reaffirmed the powers of a responsible entity are ultimately derived from the scheme's constitution, but the exercise of those powers is constrained by the statutory and fiduciary duties imposed on the responsible entity. ...

In Lend Lease Development Pty Ltd v Commissioner of State Revenue, the Victorian Court of Appeal decided that certain 'development contributions' made by a purchaser to a vendor did not form part of the consideration that 'moved' the transfer of land to the purchaser. ...