In this episode we cross examine Alastair MacGibbon, Chief Strategy Officer at CyberCX and one of Australia’s leading cyber security commentators.

Alastair works with corporate Australia to advise on cyber risk, respond to incidents and build cyber resilience. Alastair has had a remarkable career, with 15 years in the Australian Federal Police, where he established Australia’s High Tech Crime Centre. He then went on to hold senior cyber security and safety roles across the private sector, including head of eBay’s Asia Pacific Trust & Safety team. Upon rejoining the public service, Alastair was appointed Australia’s inaugural eSafety Commissioner, before going on to roles as National Cyber Security Adviser, head of the Australian Cyber Security Centre and Special Adviser to the Prime Minister on Cyber Security.

We recorded this discussion last year, at the back-end of a cold Canberra winter…but we saved the conversation for our summer holiday special. Our conversation is wide ranging, looking at the threat landscape, the keys to good cyber advice, Alastair’s varied (and similar) experiences working in the private and public sectors and guidance on corporate governance. Alastair is well known and very well regarded in board rooms across the country, and his observations on good governance are incredibly insightful.

I hope you enjoy the discussion. This is Cross Examining Alastair MacGibbon. Here we go…

In this episode of our public M&A podcast series, we talk about the latest development in the MWB ruling. As we discussed in Episode 26 of our podcast series, the Takeover Panel last year issued an order to members of management in MWB Group to pay compensation to MWB shareholders of up to £33 million (as well as issuing 10 cold-shoulder rulings).

The Takeover Panel has now obtained a court order enforcing its order to pay compensation.In the episode, we:

• give a brief reminder of the facts;
• talk about the Panel's powers under the Companies Act to seek a court order; and
• discuss what the courts have said about when it will grant an order.

The Pensions Ombudsman is overloaded. The determination process can take as long as three years. Now changes are proposed, to cut the backlog and reduce waiting times. Dan Saunders joins us to discuss the changes, and the implications for scheme members and trustees.Subscribe to the HSF Pensions Notes Blog here.

in the last episode for 2024, Tony Damian and Andrew Rich cover off some of the highlights of their 2025 M&A predictions!

Read our predictions here: https://www.herbertsmithfreehills.com/insights/2024-12/top-10-australian-manda-predictions-for-2025

In this not-to-be-missed final episode of InsideIR for 2024, your favourite IR team has done all the hard work for you, and pulled together a succinct summary of:

• the top 5 issues that shaped industrial relations in 2024, and
• our predictions on the top 5 IR issues that you will need to get ahead of for 2025.

In this bumper end-of-year edition, Rohan Doyle is accompanied by no less than 9 of his HSF IR colleagues from across the country.

Rohan Doyle (Partner), Victoria Fijalski (Senior Associate), Mathew Reiman (Senior Associate), Rachel Dawson (Partner) and Anna Creegan (Partner) review and reflect on 2024, calling out:

1. the steady stream of IR reform,
2. learnings from the new intractable bargaining jurisdiction,
3. the impact of same-job-same-pay,
4. the rise of multi-enterprise bargaining, and
5. the continued flow of FWO underpayment penalty proceedings.

Meanwhile, Wendy Fauvel (Partner), Kara Reynolds (Executive Counsel), Drew Pearson (Partner), Jessica Light (Senior Associate) and Sophie Beaman (Executive Counsel) look into their crystal ball, and outline the five IR issues to keep an eye on in 2025, including:

1. the approaching Federal Election and potential further reform,
2. the rise of the right to disconnect and flexible work,
3. the practical fallout of IR reform,
4. the increasing impact of new workplace delegates’ rights and the resurgence of union membership,
5. the commencement of new federal wage theft laws.

From all of us at Herbert Smith Freehills, thank you for your support of InsideIR and the HSF industrial relations practice in 2024, and have a safe, happy and restful end of year break.