It is entirely possible that the first effective SARS-CoV-2 vaccine is developed in Australia, with an Australian firm securing patent rights to the vaccine. If that occurs, it is important to remember that a patent is not an impenetrable fortress. Patent laws already contain mechanisms to enable “special access” to patented pharmaceuticals and other technologies, including (perhaps especially) in times like this, say James Neil and Richard Hoad of Clayton Utz.
Hall & Wilcox has lured an insolvency ace from McCullough Robertson to bolster its insolvency and commercial litigation team in Brisbane.
The shocking revelations about the complaints of sexual harassment of young female associates working for Justice Dyson Heydon in his years on the High Court have prompted many reactions and a collective sharing by women across the profession about their own personal experiences. These stories have been incredibly powerful and are a clear call to arms for significant and lasting change. Chief Justice Susan Kiefel set the tone by committing to the adoption of all recommendations of the investigator, but the reforms should not stop there, says Professor Andrew Lynch, the Head of School and Deputy Dean at UNSW Law.
The courts are to be congratulated for swiftly adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic by introducing virtual hearings, but barristers told Lawyerly they were raring to get back to in-person hearings, and cited numerous disadvantages of holding complex matters online.
Law firms are increasingly encouraging men to take paternity leave, with benefits to both the well being of staff, and the bottom line.
Google has reached agreements with publishers in three countries to pay for news, as the ACCC works out the details of a mandatory code under which the search giant and Facebook would be forced to pay publishers for news.
ISignthis is ramping up its battle against the ASX, seeking court approval to amend its lawsuit against the exchange to seek more than $27 million in damages for its alleged misleading and deceptive conduct.
Legislation passed by Victoria state lawmakers lifting the ban on contingency fees in class actions will not lead to US-style litigation entrepreneurialism, but it may also not have the desired effect of encouraging smaller and more risky claims, experts told Lawyerly.
The era of online hearings during the COVID-19 pandemic has made advocacy more challenging for counsel representing parties in litigation, but a happy consequence of the virtual courtroom is an end to intimidation, harassment and in some cases bullying by male barristers and judges, female barristers have told Lawyerly.
The Chief Justice of the NSW Supreme Court told Lawyerly the court will adopt a flexible mixture of virtual and in-person hearings in the long term, as courts and the country slowly awaken from COVID-19 lockdown.