Legal Insight | New Australian mandatory merger control legislation introduced – Further clarity on the path ahead
In the biggest ever reform of Australia’s merger control laws (see our earlier Insights here and here), the Treasury Laws Amendment (Mergers and Acquisitions Reform) Bill 2024 (Bill) was introduced in the House of Representatives on 10 October and will now work its way through the Parliamentary process with an expectation of the Bill becoming law by […]
ReadmoreConsumer Express | October 2024 Edition
In our tenth edition of Consumer Express we consider the hot topics facing our consumer clients, including the right to disconnect and what it really means, the first tranche of the new privacy reforms and how to prepare for what’s coming, helpful tips on structuring trade promotions, as well as AI washing. Our regulators have […]
ReadmoreA tectonic shift – Australia’s first dedicated Cyber Security Act
Hot off the heels of its first tranche of reforms to the Privacy Act, the Federal Government has released a raft of cyber security legislation to ‘achieve Australia’s vision of being a world leader in cyber security by 2030’,[1] including Australia’s first dedicated ‘Cyber Security Act.’ Minister for Cyber Security Tony Burke introduced the: Cyber […]
ReadmoreAustralian Government releases draft merger control thresholds
The Australian Government has published its draft merger control thresholds which would trigger a mandatory merger control notification to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) by relevant parties. These are likely to result in many more transactions being notified to the ACCC pursuant to the new processes the Australian Government will legislate to commence […]
ReadmoreASIC issues infringement notices to Fertoz Limited for alleged greenwashing
On 25 June 2024, the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) confirmed that, on 21 June 2024, Fertoz Limited (Fertoz) had paid $37,560 in compliance with two infringement notices issued by ASIC in relation to alleged false or misleading statements that Fertoz had made in respect of its Reforestation Project in the Philippines. In issuing […]
ReadmoreGames of chance: When and where is a permit needed?
The Trade Promotions regulators increased their fees on 1 July – see our handy one pager outlining the new fees, for where permits are needed across Australia. Click the image below to read the full update. If you found this insight article useful and you would like to subscribe to Gadens’ updates, click here. Authored by: […]
ReadmoreDoing business in Australia
The Gadens Doing business in Australia guide provides foreign investors with an overview of the Australian business, economic and regulatory environment, as well as practical advice on how to go about setting up and doing business in Australia. Australia is an ideal investment location for foreign companies looking to grow internationally, benefitting from well-developed infrastructure, […]
ReadmoreUncovering greenwashing: ASIC’s latest pursuit of accountability – Judgment against Active Super
Last week, the Federal Court found that the superannuation fund Active Super had made misleading representations concerning its commitment to environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in its investment decision-making. On 10 August 2023, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) commenced proceedings against the Local Government Superannuation Scheme (LGSS), as trustee of Active Super, […]
ReadmoreAI’s Ultron Moment – Johansson Takes on OpenAI Over Uncanny Voice Resemblance
You’ve heard of a lookalike, but have you heard of a soundalike? The Aural Uncanny Valley: it’s something that sounds the same as something else, but is just not quite right. New generative AI (gen-AI) tools have boldly gone where no human has gone before, using AI-generated voices to create song covers by your favourite […]
ReadmoreMandatory sustainability reporting regime: An update – Second reading debate completed
In the March 2024 edition of Gadens’ FMCG Express, we discussed the exposure draft of the Treasury Laws Amendment Bill 2024: Climate-related financial disclosure (Draft Legislation), which outlined a proposal for the implementation of a mandatory climate-related financial disclosure regime based on existing international frameworks and standards. On 27 March 2024, the Treasury Laws Amendment […]
ReadmoreNew Mandatory Merger Control Regime Promises Balanced Reform
The Federal Government’s eagerly anticipated position on reforming Australia’s merger laws was released on 10 April, which it will seek to legislate with effect from 1 January 2026. Should the reforms be implemented as envisaged, we expect it to result in: greater certainty as to when notification to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is necessary; […]
ReadmoreASIC issues infringement notices to an auditor for failing to comply with independence standards
The Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) has, for the first time, issued infringement notices pursuant to the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (the Act) alleging that an auditor failed to comply with his audit rotation obligations. Allegations Following a voluntary disclosure to ASIC by the auditor pursuant to section 311 of the Act, ASIC stated […]
Readmore
