On 25 March 2025, the Australian Government announced a proposal to ban non-compete clauses for employees earning less than the high-income threshold. The Government has consulted on the reform to non-compete clauses and on potential additional reforms to other restraints on workers. In this article, Stephens Lawyers and Consultants discusses a recent case which demonstrates why non-compete clauses should be maintained in employment contracts.
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With on-line digital markets rapidly evolving with the development of new technologies, including AI tools and AI services, the ACCC in its final report released on the 23 June 2025 has identified a number of developments and emerging issues for consumers in digital platform markets which need monitoring. This article explores some of these issues and the ACCC’s recommended regulatory reforms to address them.
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In this Legal Update, Stephens Lawyers & Consultants looks at three (3) major risk areas faced by businesses for breach of the Australian Consumer Law which arise out of the ACCC’s 2025-26 compliance and enforcement priorities and offers guidance on some steps that businesses can consider implementing to minimise risk of non-compliance with the Australian Consumer Law.
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Recent cases show that failure by businesses to ensure that environmental sustainability marketing claims are accurate can result in legal action being taken by regulators for false representations and misleading and deceptive conduct exposing the company and its directors to significant penalties and compensation claims.
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The ACCC’s Compliance and Enforcement Priorities for 2025 to 2026 recognise that cost of living, the cost of doing business and the ongoing impacts of the digital economy’s transformation and disruption are some of the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing Australia’s economy and community. In this update we explain the key areas which will be the subject of the ACCC’s scrutiny and focus in 2025/26.
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