Knowledge

The release of the New Zealand-European Union Free Trade Agreement (“EU–NZ FTA”), signed on 9 July, reveals the deal struck for sensitive “geographical indications” (“GIs”) between the two parties. It puts pressure on Australian negotiators, embroiled in finalising an Australia–EU FTA and updating the Australia–EU Wine Agreement, concerning the terms on which the Australian companies will still be able to use European GIs… if at all.

Deploying a Calderbank offer correctly requires some mastery. While form and contents should be applied scientifically, timing a Calderbank offer to capture its full strategic value, is regarded by many legal practitioners to be an art.

As these cautionary tales suggest, if a tenant goes into administration or liquidation, landlords would be wise to seek specialist advice. The lesson is simple: a landlord should not lightly assume that the appointment of an administrator or liquidator implies the end of the lease or a right to re-enter the premises.

Transferring data (especially personal information) between group companies is vital for allowing businesses to identify and target existing customers and potential new markets. However, as the record fine recently levied on Meta Platforms (parent company of Facebook) shows, safely navigating the regulatory landscape can require caution and diligence.

To enforce a foreign judgment in Australia, it must first be registered in an appropriate Australian Court. There are several pathways to have a foreign judgment successfully registered in Australia. Unsurprisingly, some pathways are more straightforward than others. It all depends on what type of judgment it is and where it was made.

In the Attorney-General’s recent report on proposed amendments to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Small Business Exemption has come under scrutiny. Is it now time for Australia to extend privacy regulation to all businesses?

Queensland tourism icon “The Big Pineapple” recently tasted sweet success in the Queensland Supreme Court with judgment setting aside a creditor’s statutory demand issued against it as part of an ongoing multi-million dollar dispute amongst investors.

Investors, employees, customers and consumers are requiring greater environmental sustainability from companies they interact with. Unsurprisingly companies are responding to the demand to be more environmentally responsible, one way or another. One of the important commercial responses is through the generation and trading of carbon credits.

The golden decade of hosting major events in Australia commenced in 2022. Between 2022 and 2032, Australia will host major sporting events of Major Championship, World Cup or World Championship status in sports ranging from cricket, football and rugby union, to road cycling and cross country running.

If a litigant needs documents from the other party to prove its case, an Australian court will issue a properly bounded subpoena for the documents to be produced to the court or an order that the documents be “discovered” by the litigant.