If you lease a premises to conduct your business, you should consider whether the Retail Leases Act (Vic) 2003 (the Act) applies to your lease. This is particularly important as parties cannot agree to exclude the operation of the Act, and in some cases, your lease may be silent on the issue or not reflect the true […]
As part of the Government’s National Innovation and Science Agenda (NISA), the Government is driving new initiatives to support innovation in the Australian economy and has passed new tax legislation to ‘incentivise’ angel investment. How do the incentives work? If you are in the early stages of establishing your business and looking to attract new […]
As we continue to focus on patent related issues coming out of the USA, it is worth noting the differences between the manner in which patent infringement decisions are handled in both Australia and the USA. Australia In Australia, most patent infringement actions begin in the Federal Court. At the hearing stage, a single Judge […]
Following on from her paper-light article in our May 2016 newsletter, mdp Practice Manager Dianne McDonald was invited to co-present on 24 August 2016 to ALPMA (Australasian Legal Practice Manager Association) on mdp’s transition to paper-light. It would appear that paper-light is still a challenge to many law firms, with only a mere 5% of legal practices […]
In Australia, the disclosure requirements for a small company will usually be less demanding than those for a large complex business, thus providing good opportunities for innovative small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to transform their ideas into a viable business. The Corporations Act 2001 (the Act) sets out the types of offers that do not need disclosure. […]
THE DECISION OF A FULL BENCH OF THE FAIR WORK COMMISSION (FWC) IN PETTIFER V MODEC MANAGEMENT SERVICES PTY LTD [2016] FWCFB 5243 (MMS CASE) INDICATES THAT LABOUR HIRE EMPLOYERS WILL NOT BREACH UNFAIR DISMISSAL LAWS CONTAINED WITHIN THE FAIR WORK ACT 2009 (CTH) (FW ACT) WHERE THEY DISMISS A WORKER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE HOST EMPLOYER’S REQUEST PURSUANT […]
AS PART OF ITS 4 YEARLY REVIEW OF MODERN AWARDS, THE FAIR WORK COMMISSION (FWC) HAS MADE SOME IMPORTANT CHANGES TO THE ANNUAL LEAVE PROVISIONS IN MANY MODERN AWARDS THAT ARE CURRENTLY OPERATING. ISSUE The main changes made by the FWC relate to three central issues in relation to employees covered by a modern award, […]
In the first of a series of patent-themed articles, mdp Patents Director Gavin Doherty explores a recent case of wilful infringement in the US and the importance of seeking advice before commencing commercial activities both at home and abroad. How do you stop a big company from blatantly copying me after I disclose my invention to them, […]
Six Park was founded by Pat Garrett and Brian Watson in 2014. While working together at their investment management firm in Melbourne, it became clear to them that there was a major problem in Australia’s investment management industry. Namely, that it was difficult, confusing, expensive and frustrating for most Australian investors to get professional, low […]
BAR Studio is a boutique award-winning Melbourne-based design studio specialising in the design of high profile international hotel environments throughout Asia and Australia. Established in February 2003, BAR Studio is directed by Felicity Beck and Stewart Robertson. BAR Studio exclusively undertakes high-end hospitality projects and their specialisation in this field has resulted in projects that […]
Director Sarah Gilkes and Senior Associate Alana Long attended the International Trade Mark Association (INTA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Orlando, Florida, in June this year. Alana Long tells us about their experience at this major intellectual property event. On 21 May 2016, some 10,000 trade mark lawyers, in-house counsel and brand owners descended on […]
In the first of a series of patent-themed articles, mdp Patents Director Gavin Doherty explores a recent case of wilful infringement in the US and the importance of seeking advice before commencing commercial activities both at home and abroad. How do you stop a big company from blatantly copying me after I disclose my invention to them, […]