Business Law and Corporate Law

In November 2009, the Federal Court of Australia (in Hine v New South Wales Land and Housing Corporation [2009] FCA 1242) considered whether or not a legal remedy was available for perceived injustices arising from a direction given by the Department of Housing (DOH) to its contractors, in circumstances where losses claimed were pure economic losses arising from dealings in a wholly commercial context.

On 21 April 2010 the High Court handed down its unanimous decision that damages are not available for the ‘loss of chance’ of a better medical outcome where the defendant’s negligence was merely a possible but less than a probable cause of the plaintiff’s damage.

In this case, the NSW Court of Appeal confirmed that the prima facie measure of damages where there are defects caused by a breach of a contractual obligation is the cost of rectification, provided the works to be carried out are both necessary under the contract and reasonable, affirming the principle espoused in Bellgrove v Eldridge.

The Government has introduced a Bill containing reforms that would require mandatory public disclosure of all forms of derivative interests once the 5% threshold is reached.

Checklist of key actions to lay the foundation for a successful AGM.

On 10 June 2025, the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) announced that it was commencing a two-year trial of a fast-tracked initial public offering (IPO) process (Fast-Track Process).

Recent case shows courts favour reasonable, proportionate remedies & warns plaintiffs against claiming only costly fixes without evidence of alternatives.

This decision marks a significant development in the application of Australia's competition law to digital platforms.

Mining companies are facing increasing pressure to bring on replacement volumes in the next decade, as ore body depletion accelerates and infrastructure approaches end of life.

Family discretionary trusts are a common way to preserve wealth, protect assets and ensure they are passed down to lineal descendants.

Understanding director obligations and acting swiftly can make all the difference.

Inconspicuous loan account hiding in the balance sheet can have significant ramifications on your client if the company requires insolvency assistance.