January 2010 - A challenging year for financial service providers - Randal Dennings and Graeme Howatson take a look at 2010, a year of many compliance challenges for financial services providers. ACCC cracks down on environmentally friendly packaging - Claims that packaging is environmentally friendly are becoming more common, but as Sharon Segal warns they can breach the Trade Practices Act if not done carefully. At long last - a legislative fix for the GST payable by representatives of incapacitated entities - The Tax Laws Amendment (2009 Measures No. 5) Bill 2009 deals with the GST payable by representatives of incapacitated entities and also introduces new obligations, concessions and protections. Clayton Utz promotes new talent for a New Year - Clayton Utz is pleased to announce the promotion of Scott Sharry to the partnership effective 1 January 2010. Discovery at a price - When a prospective plaintiff does not have sufficient information to decide whether to commence proceedings, most lawyers would consider seeking an order for preliminary discovery. Does your enterprise agreement allow disputes to be settled by arbitration? Maybe not... - Enterprise agreements must include a dispute resolution term that enables disputes about the agreement or National Employment Standards to be settled by arbitration, whether the parties want to or not, following a recent decision of Fair Work Australia (FWA). First steps towards a simpler GST administration regime - The Tax Laws Amendment (2009 GST Administration Measures) Bill 2009 will impact on the ability of taxpayers to claim GST refunds and also provide some additional flexibility in accounting for GST in commercial transactions. The micro and the macro of company reporting - ASIC has signalled a comprehensive move on company reporting in 2010, ranging from the fine detail in the financial accounts to a possible imposition of prospectus content requirements on annual reports. Disclaimer Clayton Utz communications are intended to provide commentary and general information. They should not be relied upon as legal advice. Formal legal advice should be sought in particular transactions or on matters of interest arising from this communication. Persons listed may not be admitted in all States and Territories.