Keeping Good Companies articles from February 2005

Keeping Good Companies archives from February 2005

What lies ahead for public sector governance?(Applied Corporate Governance)
February 1, 2005... This article explores some issues in the future of public sector governance in Australia. It commences by describing major organisational changes in the Australian public service. The description is the context for exploration of some key...

Time for Company Secretaries to put on their media face.(Company Secretary)
February 1, 2005... Rare is the Company Secretary who has a mandate to speak to the financial media on behalf of their group. Commonplace is the Company Secretary who is so well positioned in the group's decision-making hierarchy that they have access to core...

30 years of protecting consumers and promoting competition.(Competition Law)
February 1, 2005... For more than a decade now Australia has experienced consistent strong rates of economic growth, outstripping that of most other OECD countries by a significant margin. Unemployment is at a 20-year low, interest rates remain close to their...

Who owns the copyright works used in your business?(News And Views)
February 1, 2005... Who owns the copyright in software created by your employee or a logo created by a graphic designer? Businesses often fail to ask these questions and may incorrectly assume that they own copyright in all works created by employees or works...

Can directors be personally liable for being too generous in compensating victims?(Corporate Law)
February 1, 2005... In recent times we have seen directors of entities associated with James Hardie Industries Limited (James Hardie) expressing concern that they may potentially be liable to shareholders if they are too generous in making compensation payments to...

Proportionate liability for economic loss.(State Focus)
February 1, 2005... Amendments to the Trade Practices Act, and consumer protection legislation in the ASIC Act and the Corporations Act, mean that liability for economic loss caused by misleading or deceptive conduct is now apportioned between those responsible...

The High Court limits protected industrial action.(Employment Law)
February 1, 2005... The Workplace Relations Act 1996 (Cth) (the Act) Part VIB contains the federal regime for negotiating and registering collective industrial agreements that regulate the terms and conditions of a large proportion of the workforce (known as...

Invisible service.(News And Views)
February 1, 2005... In this era of instantaneous electronic communications, it's surprising to find that document service rules and procedures have barely advanced since the days of the Penny Post. It's even more of a shock to realise just how many companies leave...

Successful and unsuccessful approaches to working with consultants.(Management)
February 1, 2005... Many business leaders have a love-hate relationship with consultants. They also face a dilemma. While they may resent the high cost of 'external inputs', their slimmed-down organisations are often more dependent than ever upon bought-in advice....

Is your company a takeover target?(Risk Management)
February 1, 2005... In an environment where there are both big fish and little fish, it is not difficult to imagine that hunger and/or a desire to grow become obvious reasons why one fish is often swallowed up by another. In the corporate world, it is not much...

Tax sharing agreements: things to know.(Taxation Law)
February 1, 2005... Tax sharing agreements (TSAs) are a useful means by which to protect members of a consolidated group from excessive liability to taxation where the head company fails to pay the group's tax-related liability by its due date. Also, a purchaser...

Whistleblower law contains potential flaw.(State Focus)
February 1, 2005... A potential flaw exists in the recently enacted law which encourages and protects employees who advise their superiors that their companies are or may be breaching aspects of the corporations legislation. The flaw lies in a provision that...