ACLA is the peak national association representing the interests of more than 8,000 lawyers (over 25% of the legal profession) working for corporations and government in Australia.
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Welcome to the web site of the Australian Corporate Lawyers Association.

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Find out what's happening at ACLA.  Read all the latest ACLA news in What's New!  

ACLA National Conference and Annual Dinner 2008

ACLA is pleased to announce its14th annual National Conference, which will be held on 6-7 November in Sydney.  We are delighted to advise that the Conference will take place at the Sydney Hilton Hotel. 

The theme of this year’s Conference is The In-house Jigsaw:  pulling the pieces together.  We have selected this theme to recognise the complex, multi-facetted role in-house counsel play in their business or department.  Reflecting this theme in the program are several key sessions including three international addresses on:  The Role of In-house Counsel in Globalised Markets, The International Brain Drain and Going Green: Preparing Your Company for 2010, as well as important keynote address from Tony D’Aloisio, the Chairman of ASIC.  The full Conference brochure will be available shortly.

ACLA/CLANZ Legal Department Benchmarking Report 2008

The ACLA /CLANZ Legal Department Benchmarking Report 2008 is a trans-Tasman survey containing information submitted by over 125 participants with a combined legal spend of over $1 billion. With over 100 pages of commentary and analysis and over 140 graphs, charts and tables, the ACLA/CLANZ Legal Department Benchmarking Report 2008 is crammed with management information and metrics that will assist in-house practitioners to run their legal functions - and legal spend - more effectively and efficiently.

The Report has been compiled by professional services company Team Factors for ACLA and the Corporate lawyers Association of New Zealand (CLANZ).   If you wish to order a copy of the Report click here.

ACLA receives royalties from the sale of the Report.
VIC Division Ethics Seminar presented by Legal Services Commissioner and hosted by Hudson. -

ACLA VIC - Ethics Seminar presented by Legal Services Commissioner and hosted by Hudson. As you may aware the all practicing lawyers must attend a minimum number of hours in 4 specified areas during the CPD period of 1 April to 30 March. One of those areas is ethics therefore ACLA, The Legal Services Commissioner and Hudson invite you to join them for a dinner seminar and ethics workshop. For more details on this dinner seminar and workshop please download invite. Last year this seminar was overbooked and places are strictly limited and will be allocated on first come basis by cob 25 July 2008 to membership@acla.com.au SEMINAR FULL - Waiting List only.
> More details
WA Division AGM & Relationship Contracting Seminar. Kindly hosted by Jackson McDonald -

WA Division and Jackson McDonald Lawyers present Relationship Contracting Seminar on 5 August 2008. Prior to the seminar at 4.30pm will be the WA Division AGM. The seminar will be presented by Basil Georgiou of Jackson McDonald on "Relationship Contracting". Many of you are involved in drafting contracts for procurement, construction, resources or infrastructure projects and increasingly these contracts embrace relationship contracting. This can take the form of alliance contracts, early contractor involvement contracts and public/private partnerships. This seminar will look at the developing issues and trends for such forms of contract. The seminar will also be followed by refreshments. Download invite for RSVP details.
> More details
Luncheon Seminar - ARE YOU REALLY PREPARED FOR A CRISIS? -

What should you have in your organisation's crisis plan, and what is your role going to be? . Presented by: Catherine Dunlop, Partner Maddocks
> More details

ACLA Daily Newsfeed


Copyright 2008 LexisNexis

Octaviar survives bid to wind it up

Original publication: The Sydney Morning Herald
Published on: 25 July 2008
Original article written by: Colin Kruger
Page: 23

ABIX abstract
The Public Trustee of Queensland (PTQ) vowed to fight moves to appoint a new trustee to Octaviar on 24 July 2008. Wellington Capital's application for the appointment of a new trustee was approved by the state's Supreme Court on 24 July, after PTQ suggested that the Octaviar noteholders, who are owed around $A348 million, may be better off if the company was entrusted to an independent liquidator. PTQ said in a statement that it has no power to object to the court's decision but will "seek an order" to determine the validity of the ruling

Original publication: The Sydney Morning Herald
Published on: 25 July 2008
Original article written by: Colin Kruger
Page: 23

ABIX abstract
The Public Trustee of Queensland (PTQ) vowed to fight moves to appoint a new trustee to Octaviar on 24 July 2008. Wellington Capital's application for the appointment of a new trustee was approved by the state's Supreme Court on 24 July, after PTQ suggested that the Octaviar noteholders, who are owed around $A348 million, may be better off if the company was entrusted to an independent liquidator. PTQ said in a statement that it has no power to object to the court's decision but will "seek an order" to determine the validity of the ruling



Small settlement a bitter pill for Biota

Original publication: The Sydney Morning Herald
Published on: 25 July 2008
Original article written by: Michael West
Page: 22

ABIX abstract
After a drawn-out legal battle, Biota settled with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for a mere $A20 million in late July 2008. Biota advised the market that its claim, for breach of contract over the marketing of its Relenza drug, was worth $A704 million at one stage of the four-year process. This expectation was crucial in winning investor confidence. In 2007 GSK offered to settle for $A100 million, but Biota rejected the deal. In recent months, Biota and its appointed solicitors from Maurice Blackburn received information that the case was far riskier than previously thought. Fearful that GSK's legal costs would be payable, Biota agreed to the lower settlement. Biota's legal costs are believed to be between $A35 million and $A40 million

Original publication: The Sydney Morning Herald
Published on: 25 July 2008
Original article written by: Michael West
Page: 22

ABIX abstract
After a drawn-out legal battle, Biota settled with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for a mere $A20 million in late July 2008. Biota advised the market that its claim, for breach of contract over the marketing of its Relenza drug, was worth $A704 million at one stage of the four-year process. This expectation was crucial in winning investor confidence. In 2007 GSK offered to settle for $A100 million, but Biota rejected the deal. In recent months, Biota and its appointed solicitors from Maurice Blackburn received information that the case was far riskier than previously thought. Fearful that GSK's legal costs would be payable, Biota agreed to the lower settlement. Biota's legal costs are believed to be between $A35 million and $A40 million



Former model to serve longer sentence for plot

Original publication: The Sydney Morning Herald
Published on: 25 July 2008
Original article written by: Bellinda Kontominas
Page: 3

ABIX abstract
The jail sentence of Swedish former model Charlotte Lindstrom, 23, has been increased by almost a year. The New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal ruled on 24 July 2008 that the minimum two-year sentence given by the previous judge was "manifestly inadequate". The maximum sentence now facing Lindstrom is four years and nine months. She was convicted of trying to hire a hitman to put two witnesses to her fiancé's drug trial "in a cemetery", as she told an undercover policeman. Lindstrom's lawyer, Philip Stewart, is concerned that his client's health will be affected by the extended period of isolation, as Lindstrom suffers from anorexia

Original publication: The Sydney Morning Herald
Published on: 25 July 2008
Original article written by: Bellinda Kontominas
Page: 3

ABIX abstract
The jail sentence of Swedish former model Charlotte Lindstrom, 23, has been increased by almost a year. The New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal ruled on 24 July 2008 that the minimum two-year sentence given by the previous judge was "manifestly inadequate". The maximum sentence now facing Lindstrom is four years and nine months. She was convicted of trying to hire a hitman to put two witnesses to her fiancé's drug trial "in a cemetery", as she told an undercover policeman. Lindstrom's lawyer, Philip Stewart, is concerned that his client's health will be affected by the extended period of isolation, as Lindstrom suffers from anorexia
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