Oliver Hume decision – Independent investors charged with aggregated landholder duty on capital raising

The Victorian Court of Appeal has recently handed down its unanimous decision in Oliver Hume Property Funds (Broad Gully Rd) Diamond Creek Pty Ltd v Commissioner of State Revenue [2024] VSCA 175. The Court of Appeal found that 18 independent and unrelated investors who subscribed for shares under a publicly available information memorandum were held […]

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Gadens Regulatory Recap – 21 August 2024

This edition of the Gadens Regulatory Recap highlights recent developments from ASIC, APRA, OAIC, ACCC, and Treasury including various enforcement actions taken by the regulators. ASIC  Financial advice update: The Financial Advice Update, published by ASIC on 9 August 2024, highlights key regulatory developments affecting Australian financial services (AFS) licensees and financial advisers. The update […]

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ASIC continues focus on financial hardship processes

Lenders should prepare for both an increase in financial hardship applications and heightened scrutiny from the regulator on how these hardship applications are managed. The Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) has found that lenders are not complying with their obligations in the cases of customers who are facing financial difficulty. As the cost of […]

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High Court decision confirms proportionate liability regimes apply in arbitrations

The High Court of Australia has handed down a significant judgment in Tesseract International v Pascale Construction [2024] HCA 24, with a majority finding that the proportionate liability laws apply to arbitrations. The case involved a contract for the provision of engineering consultancy work by Tesseract in connection with the development of a Bunnings Warehouse, […]

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Court orders Mercer Superannuation to pay an $11.3m penalty

Last year, ASIC commenced proceedings seeking declarations, pecuniary penalties and adverse publicity orders against Mercer Superannuation (Australia) Limited (Mercer) alleging that Mercer had made false or misleading representations and engaged in conduct that was liable to mislead the public in relation to financial services in contravention of sections 12DB(1)(a) and 12DF(1) of the Australian Securities […]

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Gadens Regulatory Recap – 8 August 2024

This edition of the Gadens Regulatory Recap highlights recent developments from ASIC, APRA, OAIC, ACCC, and Treasury including various enforcement actions taken by the regulators. ASIC ASIC’s first greenwashing case results in landmark $11.3 million penalty for Mercer The Federal Court has ordered Mercer Superannuation (Australia) Limited (Mercer) to pay $11.3 million in penalties in […]

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National Integrity Spotlight – July 2024

In this month’s edition of the National Integrity Spotlight, we consider the most recent updates from the NACC, the newly announced Fundamental Principles of Australian Anti-Corruption Commissions, and updates from various Australian integrity bodies. We also consider the updated Commonwealth Fraud and Corruption Control Framework, newly updated AML/CTF frameworks, and updates relating to the soon-to-be […]

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Gadens Regulatory Recap – 29 July 2024

This edition of the Gadens Regulatory Recap highlights recent developments from ASIC, APRA, OAIC, ACCC, and Treasury including various enforcement actions taken by the regulators.  ASIC  ASIC and OAIC share Memorandum of Understanding on information sharing to accelerate data and privacy breach responses: ASIC and the OAIC have agreed to and entered a Memorandum of […]

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The right to disconnect: It’s time to prepare a workplace policy

The Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes No. 2) Act 2024 (Cth)[1] establishes a right to disconnect for the first time in Australian legislation. The novelty of this right has garnered significant media attention, whilst leaving employers uncertain of the precise implications of these changes. The provisions will take effect for the majority of employers […]

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Privacy & Data Law Series | ALI and ALJ (Privacy) [2024] AICmr 131: Australian Privacy Principles and application of the employee records exemption

In the recent decision of ALI and ALJ (Privacy) [2024] AICmr 131 by the Australian Privacy Commissioner (the Commissioner), an employer was held to have breached Australian Privacy Principle (APP) 6.1 which governs the use or disclosure of personal information under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act). This came after the employer unsuccessfully relied […]

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Gadens Regulatory Recap – 11 July 2024

This edition of the Gadens Regulatory Recap highlights recent developments from ASIC, APRA, AFCA, ACCC, Treasury, and legislative updates, including various enforcement actions taken by the regulators. ASIC AFS licensees required to notify ASIC about ‘experienced provider pathway’ declaration From 1 July 2024, AFS licensees must notify ASIC within 30 business days if they receive […]

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ASIC presses for penalties and crypto regulatory clarity with Block Earner appeal

The decision by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) to appeal the latest Block Earner decision should give crypto asset providers some cause for concern. The regulator has signalled that, despite some recent court losses, it is prepared to continue its focus on the emerging industry in its pursuit of regulatory clarity. In February […]

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