Holman Webb is delighted to announce we have been selected as a finalist in the 16th Annual Lawyers Weekly Australian Law Awards – Insurance Team of the Year category. Recognizing excellence in law, these prestigious awards celebrate the achievements of the very best the legal profession has to offer across a number of categories of law.  

The recent decision of McQuitty provides important guidance to Queensland personal injury practitioners with respect to the impact of hypothetical events, pre-existing injuries or conditions and the assessment of damages.   The probability test applied by His Honour Jackson J may assist defendants to reduce an award of damages in claims for personal injuries where the plaintiff has pre-existing injuries or conditions which had a probability of impacting a head of damage.[1]

In McQuitty the plaintiff was a passenger in a car involved in a serious motor vehicle accident.  Liability was admitted. Quantum was in dispute.  The plaintiff had a troubled past having a history of substance abuse, limited work history, behavioural issues and had been involved in at least two previous serious motor vehicle accidents.

The South Australian Industrial Relations Court in the matter of Boland v Trainee and Apprentice Placement Service Inc. [2016] SAIRC 14 has handed down the first conviction under the model work health and safety laws for a failure by a duty holder to consult with another duty holder. 

Holman Webb is delighted to announce 9 internal promotions across our Sydney and Melbourne office, effective 1 July 2016.   These promotions span across the workplace relations, insurance, property, commercial recovery and insolvency and ctp practices.

We are pleased to announce that Holman Webb is co-sponsoring the inaugural International Negotiation and Dispute Resolution Seminar Series. The project is an initiative of the NSW Young Lawyers’ International Law Committee in partnership with the Australian International Disputes Centre and the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration.

The aim of this project is to give Series participants a greater understanding of different areas of international dispute resolution in private law, public law and investment disputes, as well as treaty and contract negotiation. The twenty-five Series Participants were selected by application.

Last year Holman Webb Lawyers Brisbane successfully obtained orders against a company director and a company officer for contempt of court. The contempt orders were necessary to enforce injunctive orders previously obtained by HWLB on behalf of Beech Ovens Pty Ltd. These proceedings are an exemplar of the personal liability which directors and company officers have for the actions of their company in complying with Court orders.

The Fair Work Commission’s Expert Wage Panel determined to increase the National Minimum Wage and Modern Award rates of pay by 2.4%.  The new rates of pay will come into effect from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2016.

Specifically, from 1 July 2016 the National Minimum Wage will be $672.70 per week or $17.70 per hour.  The rates of pay in all Modern Awards will also increase by 2.4% and consequently increase the amount of any applicable loadings or penalties, however that increase may not be 2.4%.

I am very pleased to report that at the Lawyers Weekly Partner of the Year Awards held at the Sofitel last evening, John Van de Poll was awarded Law Partner of the Year: Insurance. This is a great credit to John reflecting his strong commitment to the building of the Holman Webb insurance practice over many years including his focus on delivery of services in an innovative way. It is also a very good reflection on his team and the firm generally.

Our congratulations go to John and thanks go to Adriana Giometti, Marketing and Client Strategy Director, for pursuing his nomination in these awards.

Associations and charities alike understand the need to negotiate their way through changing patterns of contact and response from government, and have seen how the government’s attitude to the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission and regulation of charities has changed lately.

Holman Webb is delighted to announce that we have been selected as finalists in the following Australasian Law Awards 2016 categories:

• Law Firm of the Year (up to 100 lawyers)
• Insurance Specialist Firm of the Year