Leading independent business law firm Hall & Wilcox is delighted to announce the appointment of eight new partners: Liam Campion, James Deady, Stephanie Driscoll, Maree Ferguson, Frank Hinoporos, Nathan Kennedy, Ilona Strong and James Whiley.
June 19, 2019
Labour hire licensing conviction in Queensland
A Queensland magistrate has imposed the first conviction of a company under labour hire licensing legislation in Australia.
June 19, 2019
No negligence in return to work process
A District Court judge has dismissed a worker’s claim for damages on the grounds that her employer had failed to properly evaluate her fitness for work before she returned to her pre-injury role. It was concluded that the employer had taken sufficient steps prior to the worker’s return to work, having regard to contemporaneous medical and vocational rehabilitation evidence.
June 19, 2019
Financial Services in Focus – Issue 26
Funds and financial products
ASIC issues guidance to licensees to protect against share sale fraud
On 17 June, ASIC issued guidance for Australian financial service (AFS) licensees about how they can mitigate the risks to their clients and business of share sale fraud. The guidance is in Information Sheet 237 Protecting against share sale fraud (INFO 237)
June 18, 2019
Voluntary assisted dying laws commence in Victoria – Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017 (Vic)
The Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017 (Vic) (Act) comes into force in Victoria on 19 June 2019.
Victoria is the first Australian State to pass voluntary assisted dying laws. The laws represent part of the Victorian government’s broader reforms in relation to end of life choices and the quality of palliative care.
June 18, 2019
Two Ways to Use LinkedIn to Attract Your Ideal Client
Of all the social media platforms out there, I’d venture to say that LinkedIn is the one that lawyers are most comfortable using. It has a reputation for being the most professional, and as a result, it’s had the widest adoption within the industry. In recent years, LinkedIn has really expanded their offerings, and provided a robust, deep platform that allows us to engage in new ways, all which make it an even more valuable platform than it was at the beginning.
June 18, 2019
New Jersey Law Aims to Reduce Sexual Assault and Harassment of Hotel Workers
In an attempt to protect hotel employees such as housekeepers and room service attendants from violent acts by hotel guests, including sexual assault and harassment, New Jersey recently passed a novel law requiring New Jersey hotels with more than 100 guest rooms to arm hotel employees assigned to work in a guest room alone with a free panic button device. Under the law, hotel employees who activate the button on the reasonable belief there is an ongoing crime, immediate threat of assault or harassment, or other emergency, can immediately leave the guest’s room and await assistance without facing an adverse employment action.
June 18, 2019
NLRB Rebalances Employers’ Rights to Prohibit Union Solicitation on Their Property
Last Friday, the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) in UPMC overturned 38-year old precedent and held that employers may lawfully prohibit non-employee union solicitation in public spaces on their property absent evidence of discriminatory enforcement. This ruling may seem like common sense to many as employers have long been permitted to control what types of activities occur on their private property in other contexts. However, for the past four decades, the NLRB has compelled employers to allow non-employee union organizers to engage in non-disruptive solicitation in areas, such as cafeterias and restaurants, where the Employer had opened its private property to the public. The NLRB’s ruling in UPMC ends this compelled acquiesce and affirms employers’ property rights.
June 18, 2019
Employer Insights: Recreational Marijuana in Illinois
On June 4, 2019, the Illinois legislature passed the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (the “Cannabis Act”). Under the Cannabis Act, Illinois residents over 21 years of age may legally possess 30 grams of marijuana flower and five grams of marijuana concentrate for their personal use, starting January 1, 2020. The 610-page Cannabis Act also provides the most extensive workplace protections for employers of any marijuana legalization statute around the country. Indeed, the Illinois General Assembly declares at the beginning of the Cannabis Act that “employee workplace safety shall not be diminished and employer workplace policies shall be interpreted broadly to protect employee safety.” Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is expected to sign the legislation this month.
June 17, 2019
Massachusetts Sets New Deadlines and Contribution Rates for the Paid Family and Medical Leave Program, and Anticipates Further Changes
As we previously reported, the Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave (“DFML”) recently extended the deadline for employers to provide notice to employees of their rights and obligations under the State’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (“PFML”) law. Subsequently, on June 11, 2019, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, state Senate President Karen Spilka, and state House Speaker Robert DeLeo released a joint statement announcing that implementation of certain aspects of the PFML program are being pushed back, and that “technical changes” will be adopted to clarify the program. Thereafter, on June 14, 2019, the DFML released a notice on its website confirming one substantive revision along with several procedural revisions to the PFML program, including the following:
Welcome to ILN-terviews, a series of profiles of ILN member firm attorneys, designed to give a unique insight into the lawyers who make up our Network. For our latest interview, we chose ILN member, Arthur Li of our member firm Lee and Li in Taiwan, China. In one sentence, how would you describe your practice?...… 
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