Smarter Lawcast with Hall & Wilcox

In the first of a two-part series further exploring M&A and related tax issues, Frank Hinoporos and Michael Parker consider the key things clients need to ‘get their house in order’ from a tax perspective before embarking on an M&A deal. This includes managing tax issues before entering into a ‘terms sheet’, the pre sale restructuring risks that need to be managed, and practical strategies...

Juliet O’Brien and Laura Hanrahan discuss mutual wills. When are they a useful strategy for estate planning for blended families and what are some of the disadvantages?

Jacqui Barrett interviews Jason Schneiderman , about the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. What caused the collapse? How did social media play a part in sparking the run on the bank? What are the implications for startups, funding and venture capital now that SVB, which was one of the few banks willing to lend money to startups, is gone?

Eden Winokur and James Morvell discuss the continuous disclosure obligations on companies subject to cyber attacks. When should you notify the regulators and what are you required to disclose? What are the consequences if you don’t notify?

Frank Hinoporos and Todd Bromwich update listeners on the most recent developments in relation to section 100A of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936, and the Full Federal Court’s decision in Guardian AIT.

Juliet O’Brien and Laura Hanrahan discuss the additional challenges for succession planning for blended families, especially if there are family assets to pass on, and why it’s vital to properly consider the succession planning.

Four of our female leaders – Emma Woolley , Natalie Bannister , Barbara Casado and Ann Watson – share their experiences with Managing Partner Tony Macvean about what we can continue to do to ensure better gender equity within our firm and the legal sector. They reflect on what’s working and what’s not, how great it is that so many women now have a seat at the table, the importance of role models,...

The theme of International Women’s Day 2023 is ‘Cracking the code: innovation for a gender equal future’. Susie Dobbie and Jasmine Koh spoke with guest Andrea Koch , a digital agriculture and agtech entrepreneur, about female founders, women in agtech, how the tech industry can support women leaders, and the role of education and mentorship in empowering women to pursue careers in tech.

Eden Winokur talks to Ray Loh , cyber product leader at global insurance company AXA XL , about cyber insurance, including how the current claim and legal environment could impact the cyber insurance market, the keys to obtaining cyber insurance, possible solutions if you are unable to purchase cyber insurance, and added to the conversation about whether or not to ban ransomware payments.

In the second of a two-part series ‘Demystifying the M&A process’, Frank Hinoporos and James Bull discuss the process of drafting and negotiating a sale agreement through to the deal’s completion, covering purchase price adjustments, earn outs, warranties and indemnities.

In the first of a two-part series ‘Demystifying the M&A process’, Frank Hinoporos and James Bull examine the early stages of an M&A process, from pre-sale preparation to due diligence and the term sheet.

Lisa Ziegert and Julian Hammond discuss how AI is being used in the public sector, including risks, as highlighted by the Robodebt Royal Commission, ethical issues and potential regulation.

How does the content generated by AI fit within existing copyright laws? Lisa Ziegert and Ben Hamilton discuss how copyright laws may, or may not, apply to AI-generated content.

How will AI tools such as ChatGPT change the way legal services are delivered? Lisa Ziegert and John Gray discuss AI’s impact on the legal sector, potential benefits and downfalls, and whether a new legal framework to deal with AI is required.

In this episode, Meg Lee and Jacob Uljans discuss why greenwashing is a key regulatory priority for ASIC and the ACCC, and what action companies can take to minimise their risk.

Mark Dunphy , Nicole Tumiati , Chris Sacré and Kendall Messer discuss risks for the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector, where impacts of severe weather go beyond physical damage and reach into the supply chain.

Mark Dunphy , Meg Lee and Brendan Tobin discuss how the planning & environmental laws plan for, and respond to, climate change and extreme weather events.

In this episode, Julian Hammond talks to Dr Yee-Fui Ng , Associate Professor at Monash University and Acting Director of the Australian Centre of Justice Innovation, about anti-corruption and executive accountability, particularly given influences such as ministerial advisors and lobby groups, and the proposed National Anti-Corruption Commission. Shownotes: Dr Yee-Fui Ng is an Associate Professor...

In this episode, Eden Winokur talks to Rhys Ryan , leading crisis communications expert and CEO at Porter Novelli Australia , about why it is vital to get communications messages right during a cyber incident, given the speed at which the crisis unfolds and the tension between the need to quickly inform customers while also being accurate in what is said.

In this episode, Eden Winokur talks to Shane Bell , cyber partner at McGrathNicol , about the cyber risk landscape, including whether data breaches will become a bigger risk than ransomware, whether companies should pay cyber ransom demands, and how important it is for companies to road-test their cyber incident response scenario before a crisis hits.

In this episode, Meg Lee chats with Clint Wilson , General Manager Sustainability at Centuria Capital Group, about Centuria’s ESG approach, developing an ESG framework across diverse sectors, and how the company has tackled ESG reporting.

Aon client director and cyber insurance practice leader Michael Parrant joins Head of Cyber Eden Winokur to discuss the recent Federal Court decision in Inchcape v Chubb, mitigating cyber risk and whether cyber insurance is getting a bad rap. Eden and Michael also discuss the latest in the Optus data breach (as at recording date of 28 September).

In this episode, listeners will hear from Dr Wolfgang Babeck and guest Linda Romanovska , an Australia-linked member of the EU platform on sustainable finance, who discuss the latest ESG issues and legislation in the European Union, including the EU Taxonomy Regulation and its linkage to the ISSB, the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulations, and how Australian companies should proceed with ESG...

In this episode, listeners will hear from Meg Lee , Anne MacNamara , Adrian Verdnik and Julian Hammond about avoiding greenwashing, risks and compliance issues for super funds, what the regulators are saying, and how Australia’s approach to greenwashing compares with Europe and the US.

In this episode, listeners will hear from Meg Lee and Nathan Kennedy about why clients might implement an ESG framework, key considerations for implementation, and recent developments.