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Send it to the right person: the importance of accurate notices terminating options

In JPA Finance Pty Ltd v Gordon Nominees Pty Ltd,[1] the Supreme Court of Victoria held that a notice purportedly terminating an option to purchase 20 units in a trust for $2.3M was invalid. This was because it was not addressed in accordance with the contract. Instead of being addressed to the company care of its lawyers, […]

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Involved or not involved? That is the question for partners.

It is well established that the privilege against self-incrimination and privilege from exposure to civil penalties can be claimed by natural persons and are not available to corporations. However, the position is not yet settled insofar as it relates to partnerships. More specifically, whether all partners can claim the privileges or whether it can only […]

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Life cycle of litigation beyond life: deceased estates

What do you do when there is no-one to sue? In the Supreme and County Courts in Victoria, there is a civil procedure when the defendant is deceased or dies and a cause of action survives. See below our overview of this procedure. Click here to view the full size PDF.           […]

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FMCG Express | September Edition

Gadens has brought together a selection of articles from our top lawyers operating across the FMCG sector, to bring you the September edition of the FMCG Express. Covering recent stories such as the Kraft vs Bega dispute, the advertising campaign by Ad Standards and Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation (Australia) Pty Limited v Redbubble Limited [2019] […]

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Federal Court finds ticket reseller engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct

In the recent case of ACCC v Viagogo AG, the Federal Court considered whether Viagogo engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct by acting in a way liable to mislead consumers when reselling event tickets in breach of the Australian Consumer Law. This decision is a reminder to businesses to accurately describe the nature of the products or services […]

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AFCA now considering legacy complaints dating back to 2008

Until June 2020, AFCA can consider certain Legacy Complaints dating back to 1 January 2008 when administering the AFCA external dispute resolution scheme. This may pose evidentiary challenges both in terms of retention of relevant documents and staff recollection of events which occurred over a decade ago. The expansion of AFCA’s jurisdiction also means that […]

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Employees’ priority in the insolvency of a trading trust: the Amerind case in the High Court

In the Amerind case, the High Court has unanimously held that the former staff of an insolvent trustee company have the same rights to priority payments as the employees of an insolvent non-trustee company. In doing so, the Court settled a long-standing debate about the nature of a trustee’s right to indemnify itself from trust property for trust […]

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Consumer Data Right back on track

On 1 August 2019, the Senate passed the Treasury Laws Amendment (Consumer Data Right) Bill 2019 to introduce amendments to the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, the Privacy Act 1988, and the Australian Information Commissioner Act 2010 to form the framework for the Consumer Data Right (CDR). The bill followed a relatively quick turnover after […]

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When things go wrong for banking customers – the new Banking Code will help with deceased estates

The new Banking Code, which commenced on 1 July 2019, contains a new section under Part 9, Chapter 45 on helping with deceased estates. Click here to view the full size PDF.             Legal Insight | Life cycle of litigation beyond life: deceased estates

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The Model Litigant post the Hayne Royal Commission – walking a tightrope?

A great deal has already been written about the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry (the Banking Royal Commission) and the scandals which emerged throughout. Commissioner Hayne’s ire (and that of the public and media) was felt by many, including the regulators, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and […]

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Financial Services Royal Commission – where to after the federal election

Prior to the federal election held on 18 May 2019, there was frenetic discussion and debate over the 76 recommendations made by Commissioner Hayne AC QC in his final report from the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Service Industry. Both major political parties promised reform, however, the extent of industry […]

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When will a court impose a trust relationship in commercial agreements such as franchises?

In Re Stay in Bed Milk & Bread Pty Ltd (In Liquidation) ACN 115 166 982 [2019] VSC 181, the Court considered whether monies paid into a marketing fund by franchisees gave rise to a trust relationship.   Background and the parties’ arguments Stay in Bed Milk & Bread Pty Ltd (the Company) was the franchisor of the […]

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