Latest publications
Abuse of Power
In Brief In an important decision for people considering their estate plan, the Supreme Court of New South Wales has recently reiterated the limits on an attorney’s ability to use a power to benefit themself. But even with this protection, the case highlights the need for people to carefully consider who…
Attacking IP infringers — look before you leap
Intellectual property may be the most valuable asset your business possesses. It is therefore wise to be on guard against infringers who seek to dilute or steal that intellectual property. However, before firing a shot at infringers, it is important to put your own ducks precisely in a row.Identifying ownership Before issuing a letter…
Tax Incentives for Investors in Early Stage Investment Companies
“Australians are renowned for their smart ideas, but we often fail to back them and turn them into commercial realities.Only 9% of Australian small to medium sized businesses brought a new idea to market in 2012 – 13, compared to 19% in the top five OECD countries.We will provide new tax…
The future and HR — the other side of the worm-hole
Recently, we hosted a seminar on the Future of HR and heard from two experts in the field about their experience and thoughts on the rapidly transforming workplace and their predictions for the future. That night we slipped trhough the worm-hole to reveal what a thriving HR professional will look like in the…
The deceit of the policy manual
“Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them… well, I have others.” — Groucho Marx As an HR professional, you value your integrity, right? Without that, your credibility with staff disappears. A core aspect of integrity is honesty — if your word cannot be relied upon, then you lose the trust…
Who needs a statutory will?
In Brief In a previous article, we examined how statutory wills are able to be used for asset protection and tax minimisation purposes. In this article, we outline the types of people for whom an application for a statutory will might be made and then consider the prevailing issue of testamentary capacity…
Separation, divorce, children & overseas travel — Preventing international parental child abduction
Did you know that Australia has one of the highest per capita rate of international parental child abduction in the world with more than 250 cases every year? In a multicultural country such as Australia, with an increase in the movement of families leaving Australia for work, parents and children having dual…
What happens when spouses split a business? 6 possible scenarios
The ‘clean break’ principle The Family Court’s position is that whenever possible, there should be a clean break between ex-spouses. This means a property settlement, with the combined asset pool being broken into two chunks. When the assets include a business, the property split can take place in a number of ways.1. Value of the…
Being impartial on partial property settlements
Commencing Family Court proceedings can be daunting – not only because it’s an emotional time in your life, but because of the high legal fees that can result from what can be a long and drawn out process. You might wonder, how will I be able to pay for a car, or replacement furniture…
Innovation it’s in our DNA
I always remember our founder, the late Fred Swaab, talking about being at the bleeding edge. He was a man who looked ahead to the next step, always challenging himself, and those alongside him, to find better ways to do things. Fred wanted to be right out in front – at that…