Johnson Winter Slattery

The Victorian Court of Appeal has rejected an appeal against a defamation jury verdict in favour of JWS client, the Commonwealth of Australia. In 2021, Ms Ola Ouda and Mr Amgad Shehada brought proceedings in which they alleged that the AFP and one of its Commanders had defamed them at a press conference announcing their arrest for alleged fraud offences. They applied for leave to appeal on the basis that the jury's verdict that they were not defamed was unreasonable.   The Court of Appeal unanimously rejected the application, saying "…it was open to the jury, acting reasonably and properly instructed, to find that Commander Hunter’s words did not convey the alleged defamatory imputations".   The JWS team that secured this win includes Partner Kevin Lynch, Senior Associate Jade Tyrrell and Associate Alanna Harrigan. The team instructed Lisa De Ferrari SC, Matt Lewis SC, and Caroline Dawes as counsel on the appeal.   The case is: Ola Hassan Mohamed Ouda & Ors v Todd Hunter & Anor [2024] VSCA 323. #defamation #media #auslaw

One of the highlights of our Chambers and Partners 2025 recognition was for our Foreign Direct Investment team. Our firm received a 'Spotlight' ranking – one of only two in Australia – and partners David Moore, Marcus Clark and Mellissa Lai achieved top rankings, as three of nine of the top practitioners in this area in Australia. Client feedback and peer review are an important part of the Chambers and Partners research process. Assessment criteria include technical legal ability, exceptional client service, commercial astuteness, professionalism, diligence and commitment. Our market-leading Foreign Direct Investment team provides specialist legal advice to foreign clients acquiring, managing or divesting Australian investments. We have expert knowledge of Australia's regulatory framework and unparalleled experience with foreign investment proposals across a wide range of industry sectors. Whether assisting clients to engage with the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) process or other areas of law applicable to foreign investment – including M&A, tax, antitrust/competition, corporate and financial services regulation and cross-border regulatory work (anti-bribery, sanctions, export controls) – we are familiar with the needs of Australia's foreign investors and their counsel. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gqik_adx #foreigninvestment #FIRB #ChambersAsiaPacific2025 #FDIAustralia

We were delighted to attend the 45th Anniversary Gala of Marrickville Legal Centre (MLC) and join staff and guests in celebrating MLC's incredible achievements over the past 45 years. MLC provides free and accessible legal services across NSW, focusing on supporting vulnerable individuals and advocating for social justice. Our JWS attendees included Alex Kench, Aryagayathri Sarath, Charlotte Scholey, Claudia Carozza, Hannah Alcock, Maggie Tang, Heather Pym and Saabiq Chowdhury. We heard from distinguished guests, including the Honourable Justice Michael Lee and, via video message, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. In his inspiring keynote speech, Justice Lee spoke about the power of the law and the great work done by MLC to help everyday people who fall between the cracks in the legal system. Justice Lee expressed his admiration for the pro bono assistance provided by firms like JWS, particularly the work done in litigation and employment. In his speech, MLC CEO Vasili Maroulis explained that while 14 per cent of NSW residents can't afford private legal representation, only 6 per cent of residents are eligible for Legal Aid. This means that MLC and other community legal centres are servicing that “missing 8 per cent” who are otherwise locked out from accessible legal assistance. Starting out as a small group of law students in 1979, MLC's meaningful work has expanded to become a vital community resource now serving over 1.5 million people. JWS is proud to support MLC’s mission of improving access to justice in New South Wales and we look forward to continuing our meaningful collaboration. Since the beginning of our partnership in 2020, JWS has provided MLC with pro bono support in the form of tenancy, employment, insolvency and corporate legal advice and IT and marketing assistance. JWS has an ongoing graduate secondment program with MLC to their employment and tenancy teams. Our firm also provides pro bono assistance to the MLC Youth Legal Service, which offers free legal advice to NSW residents aged 25 years and younger. On a weekly basis, our lawyers advise young people across NSW on criminal law, civil matters, employment disputes, traffic offences and general legal enquiries. To learn more about the event and MLC’s invaluable work in the community, visit: https://www.mlc.org.au/ #accesstojustice #communitylegalcentre #MLC45years #probono

Congratulations to all our people and teams recognised in Chambers and Partners Asia-Pacific. We are delighted to have 21 practices ranked and 34 lawyers! #ChambersAsiaPacific2025 #legaldirectory #recognitionawards

We are sharing a quick update – for those who might have missed it – to let you know that some of the recent changes to Australian privacy laws have now commenced. The Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 passed both Houses of Parliament on 29 November 2024 and received Royal Assent on 10 December 2024. In this article, we summarise the key changes: https://lnkd.in/gyaSDBZQ. For further information on how these changes affect your business, contact Sophie Dawson, Helen Clarke, Christine Ecob, Keith Robinson or Jennifer Dean. #privacy #privacylaw #auslaw

The summer edition of our Above Board update is out now and covers need-to-know developments in corporate governance and board practice over the quarter: https://lnkd.in/gMdKsR5U. In this edition, we bring you the latest on new legislation to mandate climate-related financial disclosure in annual reports, new cyber security legislation, new personal duties for directors of aged care providers, ASIC's enforcement priorities for 2025, recent and relevant court decisions, ASIC Chair Joe Longo's proposed new taskforce for regulatory simplification, the AICD's release of a new legal opinion on directors' duty of care in relation to their company’s regulatory compliance, and our next instalment on strengthening corporate governance. – Written by Professor Pamela Hanrahan, John Keeves, Isaac Evans and Jonathan Cheyne #corporategovernance #boardsofdirectors #auslaw

Precisely two years after Treasury published an Options Paper proposing options to regulate the 'buy now pay later' (BNPL) sector, the Treasury Laws Amendment (Responsible Buy Now Pay Later and Other Measures) Bill 2024 has passed the Parliament imposing some consumer credit protections obligations on BNPL products. We report on what's changed, what the modified responsible lending obligations are for licensees that are low cost credit contract providers, considerations for BNPL providers and what's next: https://lnkd.in/gVuw_F4F – Written by Tom Jarvis, Christopher Sones, Christian Jones and Ben Curtain #buynowpaylater #regulatoryreform #consumercredit

The decision in Commissioner of State Revenue v McCabe (No 2) [2024] FCA 662 (McCabe) serves as an important reminder that commercial morality is to be considered as a factor under the "public interest", rather than a separate consideration relevant to termination of a DOCA under s 445D of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). In McCabe, the Commissioner's s 445D challenge to the DOCA was entirely unsuccessful. Partner Pravin Aathreya and Law Clerk Saara Stenberg analyse the Federal Court's decision in their article: https://lnkd.in/genx_DEu Our Restructuring & Insolvency team members are busily preparing the 2024 version of our annual publication, Insolvency & Restructuring Case Summaries. The useful resource highlights the key takeaways from 2024 decisions and the practical implications they have for insolvency practitioners. The comprehensive resource will be launched early in the new year. #restructuring #insolvency #auslaw

A proposed merger between US fashion giants Tapestry, Inc and Capri Holdings has been blocked by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the antitrust regulator in the US, reflecting current regulatory attitudes to market consolidation across the globe.  The US$8.5 billion merger of handbag and accessories maker Tapestry, Inc, owner of iconic brands including Coach, Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman, and Capri Holdings, the parent company behind fashion houses like Versace, Jimmy Choo and Michael Kors, was called off this month, after the FTC sued the companies to prevent the transaction proceeding. Read the article by Sar Katdare, Morgan Blaschke-Broad and Alexandra Gauci: https://lnkd.in/gf39BE9U – With Chrystal Dare and Isabella Bosworth #fashion #marketconsolidation #fashionlaw

We are excited to announce our finalists in the Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 Awards – Heather Pym for Planning and Environment, and Suvina Wong for Intellectual Property, Technology and Commercial. These awards recognise rising stars in the Australian legal industry. Finalists are selected based on: •    their achievements within their practice area in the past 12 months; •    demonstrating innovation, initiative and leadership within the firm; and •    giving back to the legal community through active participation in professional associations.   #recognitionawards #legalcareers #lawyers