Bennett & Philp Lawyers

On Wednesday this week Bennett & Philp had the pleasure of hosting Sona Pancholy, President of Meritas, at our Brisbane office during her visit to Australia for the Meritas ANZ Regional meeting. Sona’s visit provided a valuable opportunity for our directors to discuss future areas of growth and innovative initiatives within the Meritas network. It was a beautiful sunny day in Brisbane on Wednesday (our photos don’t do it justice) for lunch by the Brisbane River. We extend our thanks to Sona for the insightful discussions and for visiting us in Brisbane. Bennett & Philp is proud to be the Queensland representative firm for Meritas Law Firms Worldwide, the premier global alliance of independent law firms. Andrew Lambros Michael Coates Michael Finney Daniel Ronan Charlie Young Lachlan Thorburn Chris Lillie Nicole Jacobs #cuppachallenge #WeAreMeritas #MeritasANZ

In our latest article, Kyle Venter, Associate at Bennett & Philp Lawyers, provides a comprehensive guide to understanding the essential clauses and considerations of sponsorship agreements. These agreements are vital for sporting clubs and organisations, ensuring funding and opportunities for athletes to thrive. From rights and benefits to payment structures, exclusivity, and intellectual property rights, mastering these elements is key to fostering successful partnerships. A well-crafted agreement can enhance brand visibility and support clubs in achieving their goals. Discover how to navigate these important relationships and build a strong foundation for success. Read the full article linked below. #SponsorshipAgreements #SportsLaw #bennettphilplawyers

It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the passing of Maurice Hannan. Maurice made a significant contribution to our firm and was a cherished member of the team. We would like to share some heartfelt thoughts from Andrew Lambros: “Maurice was with Bennett & Philp for over a decade and during that time I had the good fortune to spend a lot of time working with Maurice particularly in the pharmacy area and getting to know him and his undeniable passion for looking after his clients. He truly did go above and beyond in his efforts. I also found him to be great fun on a personal level as well and appreciated his insights and sense of humour. I will greatly miss our regular catch ups and chats in his office.” The Directors and staff at Bennett & Philp extend their condolences to Maurice’s family, colleagues and friends during this difficult time.

Last week, Andrew Lambros represented Bennett & Philp at the Meritas Law Firms Worldwide annual meetings in Montreal. The week-long event included the Meritas US and Canadian Regional Meeting, the Board of Directors Meeting, and the Managing Partners Forum. These annual gatherings provide invaluable opportunities for our firm to gain insights into the delivery of legal services across different regions and countries. By learning about the latest legal trends and best practices from other regions, we can offer more innovative and effective solutions to our clients. The information and resources shared at the Managing Partners Forum offers diverse perspectives on law firm management from managing partners around the world, helping us streamline our operations and ensure more efficient and responsive service for our clients. Andrew also had the responsibility of facilitating a discussion at the Firm Management Forum meeting on succession planning during the forum session by Timothy Corcoran. The discussion addressed the need for firms to prepare for generational shifts and provided practical considerations to develop a robust plan to ensure continuity within firms. Strengthening our connections within the Meritas network allows us to provide clients with seamless cross-border legal services, ensuring that we continue to deliver top-quality legal services to our clients and to those within the Meritas network.  Recent examples of the benefit of the network to our existing clients includes assisting a client looking to expand into India, helping another client integrate a business in Hawaii and protecting the IP rights of clients in Chicago.  Each of these matters was carried out with other Meritas firms. Our Meritas connections are actively helping our existing clients navigate their international needs. Bennett & Philp is the proud Queensland representative firm for Meritas Law Firms Worldwide and Andrew is a member of the Leadership Committee of the Global Firm Management Forum and a current Board Member. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the host firm, BCF Business Law for their hospitality. Their efforts made the meetings both productive and enjoyable. #MeritasGlobal #Meritas #MeritasLeaders

We really made the most of Andrea’s second week in Brisbane for the Meritas Law Firms Worldwide lawyer exchange program. There was an evening at the Law & Wine dinner surrounded by colleagues, Aussie cricket legends and the internationally renowned poet Rupert McCall. It was an evening of Aussie legends, fine food, wine and entertainment and we thank Travis Schultz & Partners for hosting a memorable event. We held our monthly in-house Power Lunch during the week where the fabulous Sue-Ella shared her insights on business development for women in legal. We always appreciate the time spent with Sue-Ella and thank her for spending the lunch hour with us. Finally, our traditional Friday morning tea and an axe throwing outing at MANIAX Axe Throwing Brisbane to end the week.   It has been a pleasure hosting you in our office Andrea. We hope you had a safe trip back to NZ and we look forward to staying in touch. Thanks again to Meritas and Martelli McKegg for allowing us to host Andrea in our office for the Meritas lawyer exchange program. #BennettPhilp #MartelliMcKegg #LegalExchange #Brisbane

The Privacy Amendment Bill 2024, responding to the Attorney General’s Privacy Act Review Report 2022, tackles only a fraction of the 116 recommendations aimed at updating our privacy laws. Whilst it introduces important changes like new penalties, protections against ‘doxxing’, and a new tort for serious invasions of privacy, it overlooks critical reforms to the definition of ‘personal information’; the ‘fair and reasonable’ requirement for collecting, using and disclosing personal information; and the direct right of action for individuals.. As technology evolves, will this first stage of amendments be enough to safeguard our data? Michael Finney, Director of Intellectual Property at Bennett & Philp Lawyers gives his insights. #intellectualproperty #ip #law #legal #privacy #doxxing

Following on from our previous article (link in the comments), directors Andrew Lambros and Maurice Hannan examine and explore another example of the Pharmacy Council (Council) and the Pharmacy Services Unit (PSU) effectively taking joint action against Pharmacists. Here they look at the impact of the Council forcing pharmacists to consent to orders with the PSU under section 175 of the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Regulation 2008, and their rights to challenge an order. The piece explores the implications of these conditions, the procedural complexities involved in challenging or revoking such orders, and the potential legal issues surrounding the validity of consent given under these circumstances. If you’re a pharmacist, this article will help you understand what courses of action are available to you if you are investigated by the PSU or the Council. If you are seeking more information about, please contact Andrew Lambros or Maurice Hannan at Bennett & Philp Lawyers for legal advice. #pharmacists #pharmacy #law #legal #psu

Thank you to Bruce Farquhar and the team at Anderson Strathern for welcoming Spencer Slasberg to their offices in Edinburgh, Scotland. While on his holiday, Spencer has been enjoying the lovely cool weather compared to the sweltering Brisbane heat but had a very warm welcome from a great bunch of lawyers. Thanks Bruce and team! #MeritasGlobal #WeAreMeritas #Meritas

One of the challenges pharmacists face when they are dealing with a complaint is just how many different regulators they have to deal with. An even bigger challenge arises however when the regulators act together against the pharmacist. Pharmacists can find themselves being investigated by the Pharmacy Services Unit (PSU) who then provide reports and findings to the Pharmacy Council (Council) as a complaint which the Council then uses to take urgent legal action against pharmacists which can include suspension. This article, written by our Directors Andrew Lambros and Maurice Hannan, delve into the legal concerns over the PSU filing complaints, reports and submissions to the Council, while also considering whether the investigation process is fair on pharmacists. This is a must read for any pharmacist to gauge more of an understanding on PSU investigations and complaints to the Council. If you’re navigating a PSU investigation and facing such complaints and reports, it's crucial to seek expert advice to protect your rights and career. For more information, contact Andrew Lambros or Maurice Hannan at Bennett & Philp Lawyers for legal advice. #law #psu #pharmacy #legal

🌟 Welcoming Andrea White from Martelli McKegg 🌟 We are delighted to have Andrea White from Martelli McKegg in New Zealand join us at Bennett & Philp for a two-week lawyer exchange program through Meritas Law Firms Worldwide. Andrea has been immersing herself in the Brisbane legal scene and enjoying some of the city’s highlights. Last week Andrea explored The Star Brisbane, played a bit of outdoor ping pong and attended our monthly happy hour featuring delicious food, including iconic lamingtons. While some may debate whether lamingtons are Australian or Kiwi, we put our differences aside and simply enjoyed these delightful Australian treats together. Some of our team members, including Caitlin McNamara, Chris Lillie, Michael Coates, Andrew Lambros, Alex Rouyanian, and Arlette MacManus took the opportunity to sit down for a meal with Andrea, sharing stories and experiences that enrich our professional and personal connections. It was a week full of exploration and building stronger trans-Tasman connections. The lawyer exchange program facilitated through Meritas has been a wonderful opportunity to strengthen our professional relationships and share valuable insights. We hope you have a great week two in Brisbane Andrea✨ Bennett & Philp and Martelli McKegg are members of Meritas, a global alliance of leading independent law firms. Thank you to Meritas for facilitating the lawyer exchange program and providing these opportunities to our lawyers. #BennettPhilp #MartelliMcKegg #Meritas #LegalExchange