Avoiding the regulatory whack-a-mole: Consultation opens on the Government’s new proposed privacy framework
Australia’s second tranche of privacy reforms has arrived. On 31 August 2026, the Attorney-General released a Consultation Paper and an Exposure Draft of the Privacy Amendment (Personal Data Protection) Bill 2026 (Cth) (the Bill), which would amend the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (the Privacy Act), setting out a broad package of proposals to modernise Australia’s national privacy framework.[1] The reforms land […]
Sarah-Jayne Rayner
Sarah-Jayne is an accomplished Work, Health Safety (WHS) lawyer with more than 11 years’ experience in litigious, regulatory and strategic, WHS matters. She has acted for public and private sector clients, officers and individuals across a wide range industry sectors in all Australian jurisdictions. Throughout her career SJ has acted for clients during regulatory investigations […]
Protecting older Australians from elder abuse: Understanding the risk and your legal rights
Australia is getting older and wealthier. In 2020, there were 4.2 million Australians older than the age of 65, with older people compromising 16% of the total population. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) estimates that this number will grow up to 23% in the next 40 years, and trillions of dollars are expected to […]
No free pass for AI: Australia confirms copyright will be protected under new mandatory framework
Globally, the question of how copyright law should respond to artificial intelligence (AI) has generated considerable debate, with governments, courts and creative industries yet to reach a settled consensus. Australia has entered that debate, with the Government stating its position on the interaction between our national copyright framework and the rights of AI companies to […]
Tracking pixels and targeted advertising – what they mean for Australian privacy law
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) declared in 2024 that the use of third party tracking pixels on websites was an area of concern and regulatory focus. Investigations commenced later that year and have culminated in two determinations handed down in June 2026 against health service providers Medmate Australia Pty Ltd (Medmate)[1] and […]
Beyond the drag-along: Shareholders’ agreements, constitutions and control in public and private companies
In part one of this series – No shortcuts to control: The Takeovers Panel slams the door on constitutional drag-alongs – we examined the Takeovers Panel’s landmark declaration in Mobile Asset Holdings Ltd, which confirmed that drag-along provisions in a public company constitution give rise to unacceptable circumstances.. That decision raised a broader question: how […]
Samuel Brown
Samuel is an experienced property projects and investments lawyer specialising in real estate and infrastructure transactions, developments and investment funds. His expertise includes acquisitions and disposals of development and built form assets, project and development agreements, title structuring and subdivisions, transaction and investment structuring, management agreements and complex leasing. Combining commercial acumen with technical expertise, […]
The ‘Innovative Business CGT Concession’: Government consults on tax treatment for innovative start-ups
Australia’s 50% capital gains tax (CGT) discount is set to be removed this week. The Australian Greens have confirmed their support for the Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Reform No. 1) Bill 2026. This legislation replaces the flat CGT discount with a cost base indexation model and a minimum 30% tax on capital gains accruing from […]
No shortcuts to control: The Takeovers Panel slams the door on constitutional drag-alongs
In a landmark decision, the Takeovers Panel has declared for the first time that drag-along and tag-along provisions proposed for insertion into the constitution of an unlisted public company give rise to unacceptable circumstances due to breaches of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). The decision sends a clear signal: Chapter 6 cannot be sidestepped through […]
Toby Patten
With dual qualifications in law and science, Toby specialises in transactional and advisory intellectual property, information technology and healthcare matters. Toby advises companies ranging from medium to large multinationals on IP and IT licensing and commercialisation arrangements, rights enforcement, and the related application of Australian Consumer Law and privacy laws. Notably during COVID-19, Toby led […]
Federal Budget impact on Employee Share Schemes
Background and proposed changes The changes proposed by the Federal Budget will materially alter how employee incentive arrangements are structured in private companies. Under the Budget measures, it is proposed that the 50% capital gains tax (CGT) discount will be abolished from 1 July 2027 and replaced with cost base indexation. A minimum 30% tax […]
Hamilton Locke advised Wes Maas and Cavalo Prestige on the successful acquisition of Derrimut 247 Gyms through a DOCA
Hamilton Locke is pleased to have advised on the successful acquisition of the Derrimut 247 Group of gyms by way of deed of company arrangement (DOCA) backed by Wes Maas and Cavalo Prestige, resulting in the gyms coming out of external administration and remaining operational. After the Derrimut 247 Group of gyms were placed into […]