2006 - Media commentary on current issues

ASIC obtains enforceable undertaking from Multiplex for its failure to comply with continuous disclosure obligations

1. "ASIC undertaking gets nod", The Australian Financial Review, 21 December 2006, page 40, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay

Establishment by ASIC of insider trading surveillance unit

1. "Praise for ASIC surveillance boost", The Australian, 12 December 2006, page 17, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay

The rise of private equity

1. ABC Radio National, The Law Report Program, 5 December 2006, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay 

Possible private equity bid for Qantas

1. "Qantas raises forecast and pressure on bidders", The International Herald Tribune, 2 December 2006, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay
2. "How Qantas and its suitors will sell a takeover", Reuters, 1 December 2006, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay 

Former CEO of Primelife Corporation loses case for wrongful dismissal

1. ABC Radio National, The PM Program, 28 November 2006, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay

Report of the Royal Commission into the actions of AWB Ltd and the UN Oil-for-Food Program

1. ABC Radio 702 (Sydney), The Breakfast Program, 28 November 2006, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay 
2. "Unhappy shareholders may launch $60m class action", The Sydney Morning Herald, 28 November 2006, page 10, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay 

Research study on delistings and corporate law reform by Ian Ramsay and Nicholas Lew

1. "Companies not delisting because of corporate law reforms", Across the Board, 28 November 2006, page 1
2. "Set and forget' and regret", The Australian, 25 November 2006, page 44
3. "Study shows big turnover of listed companies", The Australian Financial Review, 24 November 2006, page 83
4. "More delist and enlist private cash", The Age, Business section, 22 November 2006, page 3
5. "Stricter regulations not cause of delisting, experts say", The Australian, 22 November 2006, page 48
6. "Local companies not prone to delisting", The Australian Financial Review, 22 November 2006, page 16

Possible changes at Telstra following the T3 sale

1. "Splitting with the Telstra loot", The Canberra Times, 21 November 2006, page 11, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay 
   

Telstra 3 sale completed

1. "Telstra: Govt reaps $15.5b", The Canberra Times, 20 November 2006, page 1, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay 

1. "Here's the tip: Just follow the cool money", The Age, 19 November 2006, page 22, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay  

1. "Starting to have their voices heard", The Courier Mail, 18 November 2006, page 76, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay
   

1. "Annual reports in the bin", The West Australian, 11 November 2006, page 83, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay 

Increased number of takeovers and insider trading

1. "ASX probes spikes - takeovers frenzy generates market whispers of insider trading", The Courier Mail, 11 November 2006, page 71, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay

Challenges for mid-tier accounting firms

1.   "Caught in the undertow", Business Review Weekly, 9 November 2006, page 129, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay

University of Melbourne graduate law programs

1. "Top of the class", Australasian Legal Business, October 2006, page 50, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay 

Issue of James Hardie Industries Ltd possibly indemnifying its officers for breaches of duty

1. "Indemnity for Hardie directors 'unlawful'", The Australian, 4 October 2006, page 35, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay  

CEO remuneration

1. "Business executives line up for the gravy train as investors go without", The Age, 1 October 2006, page 14, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay 
   

Corporations and Markets Advisory Committee report on personal liability for corporate fault

1. "Law too tough on top officials", The Sydney Morning Herald, 27 September 2006, page 18, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay; also in The Age, Business section, 27 September 2006, page 1

Statute of limitations soon to expire in relation to possible legal claims arising from James Hardie Industries Ltd underfunding of compensation for asbestos victims

1. "Delays may help Hardie directors avoid lawsuits", The Australian, 19 September 2006, page 23, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay

Takeovers Panel reforms proposed

1. "Bill praised for takeover makeover", Lawyers Weekly, 15 September 2006, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay 
2. "New powers for Takeovers Panel", The Australian, 8 September 2006, page 19, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay
3. "Costello to beef up Takeovers Panel clout", The Sydney Morning Herald, 8 September 2006, page 19, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay

Company ordered to pay damages for breach of the continuous disclosure rules

1. "Disclosure suit serves as a warning", The Australian, 7 September 2006, page 2, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay

Disclosure of fees in superannuation

1. "Sting of fees may be softened by exposure to the light", The Australian Financial Review, 23 August 2006, Managed funds quarterly review, page 10, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay

Possible takeover of Coles Myer

1. "Tell more about bid: investors", The West Australian, 22 August 2006, page 41, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay
2. ABC Radio National, The AM Program, 19 August 2006, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay
3. ABC TV - The Lateline Business Program, 18 August 2006, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay  

Disclosure of companies changing their auditors

1. "Companies urged to explain audit flips", The Age, Business section, 11 August 2006, page 2, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay

The Takeovers Panel

1. "Warning on challenges to Panel", The Australian, 9 August 2006, page 24, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay 
2. "Takeovers Panel used for tactical edge", The Australian Financial Review, 9 August 2006, page 50, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay 
3. "Takeovers Panel faces grim future", The Age, Business section, 9 August 2006, page 5, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay  

AWB appoints new managing director

1. "AWB appoints Gordon Davis as new managing director", Bloomberg, 3 August 2006, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay

Law firm sued for role in IPO

1. "Baker faces test case on role in float", The Australian Financial Review, 28 July 2006, page 58, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay

Class actions

1. "Class action getting out of hand as big money leads to temptation", The Sunday Age, 23 July 2006, page 14, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay
2. "Investors court litigation on the path to retribution", The Age, Business section, 22 July 2006, page 2, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay

Company Auditors and Liquidators Disciplinary Board

1. "Hard board", Business Review Weekly, 13 July 2006, page 88, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay
   

Structure of boards of directors

1. "Strong boards need balance", Business Review Weekly, 6 July 2006, page 58, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay
   

Research on CEO shareholdings

1. "Shareholding bosses good for the company", The Sydney Morning Herald, 11 July 2006, page 22, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay
2. "Research finds bosses take stakes in own companies", The Age, Business section, 11 July 2006, page 1, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay
3. "Companies whose chiefs put money where mouth is do better", The West Australian, 11 July 2006, page 36, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay

1. ABC TV, The 7.30 Report Program, 4 July 2006, interview with Associate Professor Pamela Hanrahan

Research on how company directors rank the interests of stakeholders

1. "Ranking in the ranks", The Australian Financial Review, 3 July 2006, page 34, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay
2. "Study to analyse company priorities", The Age, Business section, 28 June 2006, page 3, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay
3. "Directors face questions on their work priorities", The West Australian, 28 June 2006, page 50, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay

1. "Experts' reports in question", The Australian Financial Review, 14 June 2006, page 56, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay

1. "Some comfort as Enron dust settles", The Australian Financial Review, 27 May 2006, page 7, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay  

Proposal to extend the business judgment rule for directors

1. "Controversial reforms by 'end of year'", The Australian Financial Review, 22 May 2006, page 6, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay

Legal liability of accountants

1. "Legal liability of accountants", Charter, May 2006, page 32

Increased funding for the Australian Securities and Investments Commission

1. "ASIC gets hands on war chest", The Age, Business section, 11 May 2006, page 1, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay

Location of corporate headquarters in Sydney and Melbourne

1. "Wish you were here", The Age Magazine, April 2006, page 54, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay

ASIC policy proposal on auditor rotation

1. "ASIC plan to ease audit rules", The Age, 14 April 2006, page 24, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay; also in the Sydney Morning Herald, 14 April 2006, page 32

Legal challenges to the US Sarbanes Oxley Act

1. "The future of Sarbanes Oxley", The Sox First website, 7 April 2006, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay
   

Fund managers and conflicts of interest

1. "Fund managers on ASIC radar", The Australian Financial Review, 10 April 2006, page 52, interview with Associate Professor Pamela Hanrahan

The costs of complex laws

1. "Gleeson: more rules could cripple system", The Australian Financial Review, 7 April 2006, page 64, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay
   

Difficulties for regulators in prosecuting insider trading

1. "Uphill battle to prove case", The Courier Mail, 5 April 2006, page 40, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay

University of Melbourne graduate law programs

1. "Read to succeed", Australasian Legal Business, March 2006, page 48, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay

Litigation by shareholders

1. "Study finds modest gains for derivative actions, while class actions power ahead", Across the Board, 14 March 2006, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay

Chartered Secretaries Australia calls for the introduction of direct voting by shareholders

1. "CSA wants direct voting by mail", The Australian Bendigo Advertiser, 22 March 2006, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay
2. "Push for shareholder voting rights", The Sydney Morning Herald, 10 March 2006, page 21, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay

Legal challenge to the US Public Company Accounting Oversight Board

1. "SOX legal challenge misses point", Lawyers Weekly, 10 March 2006, page 3, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay

Commission of Inquiry into the actions of AWB Ltd and the sale of wheat to Iraq

1. "Statement of contrition turns up the heat on AWB", Across the Board, 23 May 2006, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay
2. Radio 2SER FM (Sydney), Radio 101.5 FM (Adelaide), Radio 3CR (Melbourne) and other community radio stations, The Wire Current Affairs Program, 22 May 2006, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay
3. ABC Regional  Radio - New South Wales and Western Australia, The Country Hour Program, 9 March 2006, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay
4. ABC Regional  Radio - Victoria, The Country Hour Program, 7 March 2006, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay
5. "AWB's wise monkeys" The Australian Financial Review, 7 March 2006, page 61, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay
6. ABC Southern Queensland Radio, The Rural Report Program, 23 February 2006, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay
7. "ASIC bides its time on AWB scandel", The Sydney Morning Herald, 17 February 2006, page 22, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay
8. "Governance structures hampered accountability at AWB", Across the Board, 7 February 2006, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay
9. "Bitter harvest", The Australian, 28 January 2006, page 29, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay

Growth of shareholder class actions

   1.    Radio 2SER FM (Sydney), Radio 101.5 FM (Adelaide), Radio 3CR (Melbourne), Radio 98.9 FM 
          (Brisbane) and 53 other radio stations, The Wire Current Affairs Program, 7 March 2006, interview 
          with Professor Ian Ramsay

ASIC enforcement action against Fortescue Metals Group Ltd and its CEO Andrew Forrest for alleged misleading and deceptive conduct and breaches of continuous disclosure rules and director's duties

1. ABC TV, The 7.30 Report Program, 6 March 2006, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay 

Liability of corporate employers for negligent acts in breach of the Children's Services Act

1. ABC TV, The 7.30 Report Program, 1 March 2006, interview with Dr John Howe

Federal Court appeal decision on the rights of shareholders in an administration who have been mislead when purchasing shares  

1. "Gwalia case pure gold for holders", The Australian, 28 February 2006, page 19, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay

Ongoing investigation into the actions of James Hardie Industries Ltd and its former executives

1. "On the fast lane to nowhere", The Australian, 4 February 2006, page 19, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay

Auditor General's report into ASIC's implementation of financial service licences

1. "ASIC rapped over financial scrutiny", The Sydney Morning Herald, 25 January 2006, page 23, interview with Associate Professor Pamela Hanrahan

Expansion of Macquarie Bank

1. "Macquarie exports its funds model offshore", Reuters, 6 January 2006, interview with Professor Ian Ramsay