Insights

On 30 June 2025, the ACCC launched Federal Court proceedings against Edgewell Personal Care Australia Pty Ltd and its US parent company alleging that more than 90 of its Banana Boat and Hawaiian Tropic sunscreens were falsely marketed as “reef friendly”.

Discount pricing and promotions are a great tool for attracting new customers and boosting sales – but they’re a double-edged sword. If you get them wrong, you could face serious legal consequences.

Sustainability is no longer just a supply chain issue – it’s a legal one. As businesses across Australia accelerate toward net zero, collaboration on emissions reduction, waste management, recycling and circular supply chains is becoming essential, and legally complex from a competition law point of view.

The Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia has found that copyright in film footage obtained and created through trespass is not owned by the film maker but is held on constructive trust for the landowner. 

A recent decision from the New South Wales Court of Appeal provides a useful refresher on the principles the court will apply in assessing whether a transaction is an ‘unreasonable director-related transaction’ within the meaning of section 588FDA of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (the Act).

In NSW, a Principal Contractor must be appointed for a construction project where the cost of the construction work is $250,000 or more, however, it is not only the “Principal Contractor” who may be held liable for an injury on a construction site.

On 3 June 2025, the Victorian Government passed the Building Legislation Amendment (Buyer Protections) Act 2025, which is due to commence by 1 July 2026 or an earlier date to be proclaimed.

In Pafburn Pty Limited v The Owners – Strata Plan No 84674 [2024] HCA 49, the High Court held that a developer or head building contractor could not limit or exclude their liability under the DBP Act by relying on the proportionate liability regime under Part 4 of the Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) (CLA).

Section 8(2) of the Security of Payment Act is now in force, preventing unlicensed or uninsured contractors from using SOPA to obtain interim payments.

Following its recent loss in ASIC v Web3 Ventures Pty Ltd, the Full Federal Court has again ruled against ASIC — this time dismissing its appeal in relation to Finder Wallet Pty Ltd’s “Finder Earn” product.

On 1 July 2025, changes to the high income threshold, the superannuation contribution rate, the national minimum wage and more, took effect.

In its recent decision in EVP Opportunities Master Pty Ltd v Strong Room Technology Pty Ltd (Administrators Appointed) [2025] FCA 594, the Federal Court explores how subordinated creditors may still get a seat at the creditors’ table.