Hungry Jack’s has been hit with $150,240 in penalties after the ACCC found it supplied nearly 28,000 Garfield toys with button batteries without required safety warnings. While the toy met physical safety standards, it failed to advise consumers that it contained button batteries and alert parents to the life-threatening risk if swallowed—a breach of Australia’s mandatory information standard. HJ’s has since recalled the toys and pledged to overhaul its compliance systems. The ACCC called the lapse “objectively serious” and warned that product compliance remains a top enforcement priority, with multiple companies facing action across retail, auto and toy sectors.

The Full Federal Court has delivered the first real guidance on what constitutes “apparent possession” under the PPSA. The case centred on a power plant located deep within Kirkalocka’s remote WA mine site, which Zenith had built and operated under a Power Purchase Agreement but failed to register on the PPSR before Kirkalocka entered administration. Kirkalocka claimed the plant vested in it under section 267. Zenith argued that it had perfected that security interest by either actual or apparent possession. The Court confirmed that apparent possession is not about what the general public sees, but what a hypothetical third-party creditor would conclude based on facts capable of being known, like Zenith's keep out signage, uniforms, and visitor protocols. While the Full Court overturned the finding that a security interest had arisen under the agreement, possession-based perfection still has legs, even on another’s land: Clayton Utz

The AICD and Governance Institute have issued a joint statement backing the responsible use of AI in drafting board minutes, but with clear guardrails. While AI tools can boost efficiency, they warn of risks like inaccuracy, bias, and security breaches. The guidance recommends strict policies, human oversight, and limited AI use for sensitive topics. Crucially, minutes must capture decisions and rationale, not verbatim transcripts, and must comply with s. 251A of the Corps Act. Bottom line: AI can help, but the boardroom still needs human judgment.

Legal AI heavyweight Harvey is no longer riding solo with OpenAI—it’s now tapping Anthropic and Google models too. While Harvey says it’s not ditching OpenAI, just adding more models and clouds, it’s still a huge coup for OpenAI’s biggest rivals. Why the shift? Not all models are created equal—some handle certain legal tasks better than others, so Harvey’s going multi-model to boost performance: Tech Crunch

Alistair Fleming has jumped from Clayton Utz to JWS, joining as a partner to lead its Perth restructuring and insolvency practice. With a deep book of work across corporate collapses and disputes, he’ll slot into a national team led by Joseph Scarcella. It’s a strategic Perth play as JWS bulks up its west coast bench.

Holding Redlich has snapped up 3 new partners to boost its corporate and construction firepower. Ben Constance (ex-PETRA GC, DWF Singapore MP) joins in Melbourne on the deals side, alongside Dado Hrustanpasic on major projects. Jonathan Usher signs on in Brisbane for construction. It’s a clear play to bulk up in infrastructure and PE: Lawyers Weekly

Nearly 2,000 ballots from the seat of Barton turned up at a temp AEC worker’s house, triggering an investigation. The AEC says the votes were already counted and the seals were intact—so no harm done. But with echoes of WA’s 2013 ballot bungle, experts say this one's a serious misstep that’ll likely spark a fresh ballot-handling review: ABC News

Donald Trump is ready to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 as a free gift from Qatar’s ruling family during his Middle East trip, with US officials saying it could be converted into a makeshift Air Force One. Must be nice. Critics from both sides say the deal blurs the line between presidential duty and personal gain, especially with Trump’s business ties in the Middle East: The Australian

Lawyers for festivalgoers told the NSW Supreme Court there was “no justification” for strip searches at Splendour and other events that were described as “akin to things that would happen during a sexual assault” by the lead plaintiff, slamming police for failing to ensure officers were properly trained or supervised. The class action, led by Slater & Gordon and Redfern Legal Centre, alleges thousands of unlawful searches violated basic rights to dignity and privacy: Lawyers Weekly

Samsung: is buying Germany’s FlaktGroup for €1.5bn ($2.6bn), its biggest deal since acquiring Harman in 2017, to tap soaring demand for AI data centre cooling. While markets hoped for a bold chip acquisition, analysts say this is Samsung playing it safe, bolstering appliances, not chasing Nvidia. The deal’s set to close this year: Reuters

StepChange: the Perth-based IT consultant is looking to raise up to $17m to list on the ASX, defying the wider IPO freeze fuelled by Trump’s market chaos. Backed by ASG Group founders Geoff Lewis and Shane Bransby, the IT firm is eyeing a $33.8m market cap and July 1 debut: AFR

Bain Capital: has pulled out of the $3.35bn takeover race for Insignia Financial, blaming global market volatility. Bain and CC Capital had both lobbed a $5 per share bid in March, but only CC is still at the table. Insignia shares last traded at $4, and there’s no guarantee a deal will land: Capital Brief

Investa: is closing in on a $1.4bn deal with Blackstone to take control of Sydney’s iconic Grosvenor Place, in what’s tipped to be 2025’s defining office market transaction. Backed by BGO and its own fund, Investa’s bet signals a rebound in premium office demand, as rate cuts loom and work-from-home levels off: AFR

Woodside Energy has signed a rare deal with Saudi Aramco, the world’s biggest oil and gas producer, to explore joint investments, especially in the US. The energy giant is eyeing a potential stake in Woodside’s $US17bn Louisiana LNG project and could double Woodside’s production by 2030. While not a takeover, Aramco’s backing is a major endorsement—and a potential door-opener for more global deals: AFR

BHP is still bracing for trade wars. BHP’s Mike Henry says the mining giant is built for volatility, warning tariffs are at 1930s levels and global trade’s future is anyone’s guess. Still, the miner is sticking with resilient commodities like copper and potash, which tend to hold up in downturns (despite copper’s latest price drop). Whether it’s more tariffs or trade deals, BHP reckons it’ll ride it out, and maybe even come out on top: Mining Weekly, mining.com

ASIC is suing Macquarie Securities, alleging it misreported up to 1.5 billion short sales over 14 years and failed to submit accurate regulatory data for over 600,000 trades. ASIC boss Joe Longo slammed the bank’s complacency and hubris, flagging potential penalties up to $780m. Rough. And if you think it couldn't get any worse, this is ASIC’s fourth action against Macquarie in 12 months: Capital Brief

Labor’s super tax is spooking high-net-worth Aussies, with advisers reporting a wave of wealthy Aussies are selling down assets, restructuring SMSFS and even pulling back venture funding for start-ups to dodge the proposals. Some are shifting wealth into family trusts or private companies, taxed on realised gains only. With no indexation, the tax will snare 0.5% of the population, says Labor: AFR, Capital Brief

United Airlines is coming for Qantas, unveiling swish new business class cabins—think caviar amuse-bouche, 27-inch 4K screens and free skincare—as it pushes deeper into the US-Australia route. CEO Scott Kirby says Aussie demand is “very strong” and that United now flies more US-Australia services than Qantas, with Adelaide up next: AFR

Mirvac is in talks with Japan’s Daiwa House to back its Harbourside Shopping Centre redevelopment, adding to its growing list of Japanese co-investors. With over $700m in pre-sales—including multiple $20m+ subpenthouse buys—Mirvac’s Darling Harbour tower is turning heads. Looks like Japanese firms are stepping up as go-to partners for mixed-use mega-projects: The Australian

Nearly 100 Microsoft Australia jobs are on the chopping block, as the tech giant cuts 3% of its global workforce. While the cuts aren’t performance-based, they aim to streamline operations and double down on AI investments like Copilot and OpenAI. LinkedIn and local teams aren’t immune, with Microsoft saying it wants fewer managers and more “meaningful work”: The Australian

Data breaches reach record highs. The OAIC saw 595 data breach reports in H2 2024 — the highest since reporting laws began in 2018. Malicious or criminal attacks led the way (69%). The health sector saw the most breaches, but gov agencies weren’t far behind — and were slowest to report their breaches.