At first blush, time-honoured investment principles and the principles to be applied in getting good legal outcomes seem worlds apart. But after practicing law for eighteen years, and observing the financial markets, I have seen many parallels that run between the two. The principles I touch on have been established by the greats, such as Warren Buffett (Berkshire Hathaway), Barbara Corcoran (real estate, and Shark Tank fame), Ray Dalio (Bridgewater Associates), George Soros (Soros Fund…

The line between lawful and unlawful unpaid work is not always clear. Many companies are contacted by people offering to work on a voluntary basis.  It is often pitched as a “win-win” because the person is willing to work for free in exchange for experience and contacts, particularly in high demand industries such as sports, entertainment, media or fashion. Unpaid work remains lawful provided the person is a genuine volunteer and not an employee. However,…

Seyfarth is proud to announce the promotion of Sarah Goodhew to partner in its Sydney office. Sarah joined Seyfarth in 2015 when it established its Workplace Health and Safety practice. Australia Managing Partner, Darren Perry, said “We are excited to have Sarah become the second lawyer to be promoted to partner since we opened our Australian practice. Having worked in workplace health and safety law for nearly 15 years, she has developed extensive knowledge in…

Care or career – it doesn’t have to be a choice Do you know which one of your nearest eight colleagues provides unpaid care for a loved one? The number of working adults who juggle unpaid carer’s responsibilities is high, hidden, and growing. Most working Aussies will have unpaid care responsibilities intrude regularly throughout their careers. Many won’t feel comfortable exercising their right to request flexible working arrangements for fear of ‘flexism’. But without appropriate…

When an ex-employee goes to a competitor or starts poaching clients or staff, employers often look to a restraint of trade clause to protect key business assets such as client relationships or company confidential information. Often a quick decision needs to be made: apply to the Court to stop the ex-employee, or wait and sue for breach of contract damages at some later time. Wrapped up in this decision is the important issue of prospects…

An enforceable restraint of trade can be a key business asset, giving an employer time to recover when a senior employee has left the business for a competitor. Like a good insurance policy, it’s a big relief to have it when you need it. Australian law regarding restraints of trade has its history in 19th Century England and the prevailing concerns of that time.  Of course the law has developed incrementally since then. However,…