News | Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Gadens continues to closely monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and the impact it is having on our community. As a firm, we are committed to providing and maintaining a working environment which minimises risks to the health of all our people, our clients and our visitors.

Accordingly, having regard to the advice from the Australian Government and leading world health authorities, we are taking necessary action to reduce the potential impact of the virus. We have implemented recommendations in the Australian Government COVID-19 guidelines, as well as other safeguards. As circumstances change, our response is changing too.

The wellbeing of our people and that of our clients and visitors to our offices, as well as our ability to continue to carry on our business to support our clients, are our priorities and we are putting in place plans around that.

Some of the precautionary measures we have taken to minimise risks across a range of areas include:

• We have stopped all non-essential international business travel until further notice.

• We have asked our people to carefully consider and plan any personal international travel.

• Any of our people who have travelled from or transited through any international location in the last 14 days are being asked to work from home for at least 14 days, unless there are reasons why this is not seen as essential (such as, for example, where they have been tested for and cleared of the virus).

• We are limiting our domestic business travel to essential travel.

• Any of our people who have come into direct contact with a person who is confirmed to have COVID-19 is being asked to work from home for at least 14 days.

• Our people are being reminded to continue to follow good hygiene practices at all times, and have been requested to familiarise themselves with the symptoms of COVID-19 and stay at home and/or seek medical treatment if they are feeling unwell. Hand sanitisers and disinfectants have been distributed across our offices.

• We are working, in conjunction with our landlords, to ensure there is a daily disinfection regime throughout the buildings in which we have offices and this is being constantly monitored and adjusted where necessary. Our landlords have advised that they will inform us immediately in the event that any occupant of the buildings reports a suspected or confirmed case of an infectious disease including COVID-19.

• We are assessing any large events planned for our offices, and are cancelling some of them.

• For any meeting or events at our offices, we are asking any of our visitors who have travelled from or transited through any international location, or who have been in direct contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19, in the last 14 days to attend remotely.

We have in place a plan that will allow our services to continue to be provided remotely, as much as is practical, in the event that our premises are closed. Continuing to service our clients is one of our key priorities.

We will continue to follow the advice of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Health, and the World Health Organisation. We will also communicate further updates as necessary.