Friday, 9 August 2024 | 8:30am - 6:00pm | Hilton Hotel Adelaide - Ballroom A (In-Person Only)
6 CPD units including Professional Skills and Ethics

Join us for a full day of engaging discussions and presentations from industry experts on the most pressing legal issues facing commercial lawyers today.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to enhance your legal skills and expand your professional network, register now!

Your registration includes:

• Earn 6 CPD points including 2 of the MCPD requirements
• Full-day conference catering and post-networking drinks included
• Connect with fellow legal professionals and gain valuable knowledge

Not only will these sessions provide the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and earn CPD points, you will also have the chance to build relationships that can benefit your career for years to come. This conference provides the perfect setting for invaluable networking, meeting new colleagues and connecting with old ones.

UPDATED PROGRAM:

8:30 am Registration and Arrival

8:45 am Welcome Remarks

Session 1: Keynote Speaker: Don't Tell Mum I'm a Commercial Lawyer
Presenter: The Honourable Justice Natalie Charlesworth, Federal Court of Australia (SA)
Time: 9:00am - 9:30am
CPD: .5 CPD unit (Standard)
What does it mean to be a commercial lawyer?  In this keynote address, Justice Charlesworth warns against compartmentalised thinking that can limit the development of the law and at time result in injustice.  Her Honour shares some observations about silos in legal education, legal practice and jurisprudence.  There is, her Honour argues, a heightened need for all lawyers to be Constitutional lawyers first and foremost and to fiercely defend the integrity of legal institutions that in turn protect the integrity of the economy.  Her Honour emphasises the need, more than ever, to maintain trust and confidence in those institutions and discusses the extent to which they can legitimately be the subject to party-political debate.

Session 2: Ethics, mediations and the resolution of commercial disputes
Presenter: Dr Rachael Gray KC and Delano Leen, Victoria Square Chambers
Time: 9:35am - 10:35am
CPD:  1 CPD unit (Ethics)
This session will allow attendees to delve into the nuanced ethical considerations outside of the courtroom, exploring duties of disclosure and obligations to clients. You will gain insights into effective communication with fellow practitioners and the recording of commercial settlements, including crucial considerations from the case of Masters v Cameron. Learn the protocols and responsibilities involved in informing the Court of resolved matters, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of ethical frameworks throughout mediation and the resolution of commercial disputes.

10:45 - 11:10 Morning Tea

Session 3: Trending Legal Issues with ASIC including Enforcement Processes
Presenter: Sarah Court, Deputy Chair of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission
Time: 11:10 - 11:55 am
CPD: .5 CPD unit (Standard)
ASIC Deputy Chair, Sarah Court will discuss the latest trending legal issues in the Australian Securities and Investment landscape, including the enforcement process.

12:00pm Lunch 

Session 4: Working together to support small business
Presenter: Nerissa Kilvert, Small Business Commissioner SA
Time: 1:00pm - 2:00pm
CPD:  1 CPD unit (Standard)
The focus of this session will be to build a shared understanding of where we all fit in the context of assisting small businesses, with particular emphasis on retail and commercial leasing matter. We will discuss how we can create a network which results in the provision of effective and efficient support to those who we represent and explore opportunities for further collaboration.

Session 5: Q&A - Is the Matter Ready for Trial?
Presenter: Her Honour Judge Karen Thomas, District Court of South Australia
Time: 2:05pm - 3:05pm
CPD:  1 CPD unit (Professional Skills)
Her Honour Judge Thomas will present an interactive session exploring current judicial expectations of the parties in commercial causes at three critical stages of the litigation: listing a matter for trial, pre-trial directions and the first day of trial.  Participants are invited to ask questions, raise issues and discuss solutions that facilitate a just, efficient, timely, cost-effective and proportionate determination of commercial causes. 

3:05 - 3:25 Afternoon Tea

Session 6: Damages for Defective Building Work 
Presenter: Nick Floreani KC, Jeffcott Chambers
Time: 3:30 - 4:30 pm 
CPD:  1 CPD unit (Professional Skills)
Nick Floreani KC from Jeffcott Chambers will explore the intricacies of damages for defective building work, examining the proper measure and assessment of loss and other legal remedies applicable in residential and commercial construction projects. Drawing on his extensive experience as a commercial/construction barrister, arbitrator, adjudicator and mediator, Nick will offer valuable insights that resonate across various commercial law sectors. This session is essential for professionals seeking to enhance their understanding of damages assessment and calculation in defective building work cases and in commercial litigation generally. 

PROGRAM UPDATE:
Session 7: Contract Damages: Key Principles and latest High Court Decisions
Paper Written by Jeffrey Goldberger and to be Presented by: Philip Adams, Murray Chambers
Time: 4:30 pm - 5:30pm 
CPD:  1 CPD unit (Professional Skills)
This session will provide an update on recent High Court decisions regarding reliance loss and loss of use in claims relating to breach of contract damages. In particular, the session will run through the governing purpose of an award of damages for breach of contract, and causation and remoteness. The recent case of Cessnock City Council v 123 259 932 Pty Ltd (2024) will be covered in relation to recovery of reliance loss. In addition, claims for loss of use will be considered in the context of Arsalan v Rixon (2021). 

The conference will conclude with post-networking drinks and canapes to be served in the foyer until 6:30pm. 

Thank you to our Conference Sponsors:

Major Sponsor of the CPD Program

Major Sponsor

Registration Fees:
Platinum and Junior Members (admitted less than three years): $550
Members (admitted more than three years): $590 
Non-Members: $700
GDLP/Student Associate/Concession: $400
Other: Login to see your registration fee