The Sparke Cast

The Commercial Insurance practice group is launching a series of podcasts to discuss relevant trends in the market and topical issues. In this first episode, James Clohesy and James Sutherland from Sparke Helmore’s Next Generation team explore business interruption cover and COVID-19.

In light of industry shutdowns due to COVID-19, Partner Liana Westcott and Senior Associate Victoria Wilkinson from Sparke Helmore’s Government Commercial team dissect what current challenges our clients face, and how these shutdowns are affecting Commonwealth agencies' planned and current procurement processes, and the performance of existing contracts.

As remote hearings are increasingly being relied upon by Australian Courts and Tribunals, Bernadette Rayment and Katherine Evans, members of Sparke Helmore’s Government team, speak with Barrister Greg Johnson about the issue of protecting and delivering open justice in the digital COVID-19 world.

Emma Gruschka and Ian Bennett continue their discussion on the impact of COVID-19 for workplaces nationally by looking at relevant WHS risks and considerations, the enforcement approaches adopted by Regulators as well as the big issues that are anticipated to keep employers busy in a post-COVID-19 world.

In the first of this two part episode, Emma Gruschka and Ian Bennett discuss the impact of COVID-19 in the workplace nationally by examining significant recent changes to legislation and industrial instruments, including the Fair Work Commission’s changes to 99 Modern Awards, and the implications for employers from the JobKeeper Bills and consequential amendments to the Fair Work Act.

In this edition Felicity Edwards and Sam Jackson discuss some of the emerging issues of 2020 including the outcomes of the Dreamworld coronial inquest, industrial manslaughter laws and how employers should be responding to Coronavirus.