Insights
When is a loan repayable and how long does a lender have to recover a debt?
A loan is a type of debt where one party gives money to another party on the basis that it will be repaid at some point in time. Anyone from a friend to a company can advance or receive a loan. For example, individuals may borrow money to purchase a car or home, or a...
Directors beware – your duties and the use of shareholder loans
It is common knowledge that directors owe duties to a company. Directors are, after all, responsible for its overall governance and direction. However, those duties are usually loosely acknowledged, and their scope is often underappreciated. In smaller businesses,...
Shareholders and Directors’ Disputes – Just and Equitable Winding Up
Disputes between company shareholders and directors are common place and can have a significant impact on a company's operation. It is also not unusual for protracted disputes to ultimately lead to irreconcilable situations that ultimately and significantly limit the...
Voidable Transactions – When does interest begin to accrue?
Voidable transactions form a vital part of the insolvency regime and ensures that the assets of an insolvent company are made equally available to its creditors, particularly those that have been sought to be made unavailable in the period leading up to the...
The Voidable Transaction Regime – A summary
The voidable transaction regime under Part 5.7B of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (the Act) provides a framework for liquidators to pursue recovery action against parties who have received property or some form of benefit from an insolvent company. In turn, the...
Shareholders and Directors’ Disputes – A way forward
Disputes between shareholders and directors are common place and can take shapes of varying degrees and scope. They often involve disagreements with respect to control over the direction, management or operation of a business, access to the company's books and...
A lesson on payment schedules and the scope of adjudication responses
The Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW) (the Act) provides processes designed to ensure prompt and fair payment for construction work and establishes a framework for resolving payment disputes quickly through adjudication or Court...
What is an unfair preference claim and how do I respond
An unfair preference claim often arises in situations where a director of company, anticipating the company's liquidation, prefers some creditors over others by prioritising the payment of their debts. When the company is eventually wound up, there are then fewer...
Release clauses in disputes settlement
Broad and all-encompassing release clauses generally found in agreements in settlement of a dispute may be limited in its application depending on the circumstances and knowledge of the parties at the time the release came into existence. Key Takeaways When deeds of...
Disputing beer brands and the Australian Consumer Law
Previously we discussed reputation in a trade mark and the law of trade mark infringement under the Trade Marks Act. Next, we consider reputation and its treatment under the Australian Consumer Law and the case between rival brewing companies Brick Lane Brewing Co Pty...
Reputation in a trade mark – not relevant to infringement
Independent real estate start-up, The North Agency, fends off property monolith, The Agency, in the Federal Court of Australia. In dismissing all claims against The North Agency, including finding that The North Agency had not infringed The Agency’s trade marks, the...
Unfair Contract Terms Reform Alert (2022)
There are changes happening! Significant changes are set to shake up the law of Unfair Contract Terms in small business standard form contracts. The changes come into effect on 9 November 2023 and will introduce serious penalties for businesses that use and rely on...
Subscribe
…and we’ll email you valuable insights into issues affecting you and your business.
Our People
Our greatest asset is our talented and committed people – they enjoy what they do and value the opportunity to work together and with our clients. Our people are from diverse backgrounds and approach their work with intellectual rigour and enthusiasm.