Anyone watching television over the Summer will have seen advertisements for the United Australia Party, led by Clive Palmer. In one version, a song is played with the lyrics ‘Australia ain't gonna cop it, no Australia's not gonna cop it, Aussies not gonna cop it any more.’

The news headlines are shouting about the ground breaking penalty of $2.6 million imposed on the auto repair franchisor Ultra Tune Australia, by the Federal Court last month, in the case of Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Ultra Tune Australia Pty Ltd [2019] FCA 12.  Of that amount, $1.1 million was imposed for breaches of disclosure obligations under the Franchising Code of Conduct, including about $900,000 specifically arising from breaches of the obligations relating to accounting and disclosing of marketing funds. 

The January 2019 edition of our Body Corporate Newsletter highlights the rights and obligations of the Body Corporate and lot owners in maintaining common property and rights in relation to access for investigation and repair. 

New Aged Care Quality Standard 8 states that an Approved Provider’s governing body is accountable for the delivery of safe and quality care and services.  In this podcast Alison Choy Flannigan (formerly Holman Webb), Brendan Moore (LASA), Catherine Maxwell (Governance Institute) and Rueben Sakey (IRT) discuss the responsibilities of the Board of an Approved Provider, what is required to prove compliance with the new governance standard and a case study on improving governance. This Podcast is particularly relevant in light of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

Approved Providers will be assessed against the New Aged Care Quality Standards from 1 July 2019. In this podcast Alison Choy Flannigan (formerly Holman Webb), Brendan Moore (LASA), Catherine Maxwell (Governance Institute) and Rueben Sakey (IRT) discuss what is different. It includes a case study on new Standard 3 concerning Personal care and clinical care and some of the challenges in proving compliance. This Podcast from Holman Webb and LASA is particularly relevant in light of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

On 21 January 2019,  France’s data protection regulator, CNIL fined Google €50m ($80 million AUD) for breaches of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

As a founding signatory firm of the NSW Law Society’s Charter for the Advancement of Women in the Legal Profession, we are delighted to be ranked in the Australian Financial Review amongst the country’s top firms for promoting gender diversity and inclusion.

Bruce v Apex Software Pty Limited t/as Lark Ellen Aged Care [2018] NSWCA 330

The November 2018 edition of our Body Corporate Newsletter showcases a recent case of alleged defamation that took place in a body corporate meeting and the resultant claim for damages.

Christmas is around the corner, which means retailers are getting ready for the busiest period of the year. What better time for a quick refresher on some consumer law issues? Here are a few tips to make sure Santa (the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission) doesn’t bring you a lump of coal (an infringement notice).