Dentons - Insights

“The Expert will not act as an arbitrator”: determining when an expert oversteps the mark in an Expert Determination

Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Australia: The 30 April 2026 judgment in the Supreme Court of Western Australia case of Jako Industries Pty Ltd v Perkins (WA) Pty Ltd [2026] WASC 158 (Jako v Perkins) provides a useful clarification of where the line is drawn. In that instance, Forrester J held that the expert had not overstepped the mark and upheld the binding expert determination.

Autonomous weapon systems: Closing the regulatory gap

Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

New Zealand: The rapid development of technology and artificial intelligence (AI) has led to the rise of autonomous weapon systems (AWS) and lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWS). The idea of robots joining the battlefield is no longer science fiction — China has developed and released several models of autonomous drones that can fly into battle alongside fighter jets; Israel has developed a series of drones that are capable of identifying and eliminating targets without human intervention; and Russia is developing an autonomous nuclear-armed submarine.

Killer Robots! Dealing with new defence tech and the law

Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

New Zealand: Nations and businesses across the globe are investing heavily in autonomous systems. The pace of this technology development in our now uncertain World is outstripping ethical and legal considerations. We can’t ignore these developments in defence technology and their potential - after all from military applications civilian use cases will be derived - it’s time Western legal systems, including New Zealand, caught up and faced the issue. This series of articles will look at autonomous weapon systems and how we deal with them from an ethical and legal perspective.

Continued reduction of conditional business lines

Thu, 14 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Vietnam: The Ministry of Finance is seeking opinions for the Draft of Resolution on the Reduction of Conditional Business Lines (the “Draft”). The Draft proposes to remove 58 conditional business lines and amend 14 conditional business lines under management of 12 ministries and ministerial-level agencies, including the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Construction, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Health, the State Bank of Vietnam, and other competent authorities.

Dentons lawyers contribute Alabama insights to Chambers Real Estate Global Practice Guide

Thu, 14 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Dentons is pleased to announce our continued contribution to the latest edition of the Real Estate Global Practice Guide, published by Chambers and Partners.

School enrolment contracts: what every school needs to know

Thu, 14 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Australia: There is an increasing trend of parents refusing to pay fees or taking other forms of legal action against schools. Despite this, enrolment contracts remain amongst the most underdeveloped and legally unsophisticated documents in any industry. Many contracts currently used by schools are outdated, inadequate, and in some cases contain unlawful terms, a situation that demands attention.

Episode 100: Navigating growth and leadership in mental healthcare

Wed, 13 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Canada: Join Heather Barnhouse, Partner in our Edmonton office, as she explores women in leadership and entrepreneurship, and the ecosystem that supports them. In episode 100, Heather welcomes Kim Long, a registered psychologist and former educator who grew Dóchas Psychological Services from a solo practice into a multidisciplinary clinic with 10–12 permanent practitioners. Kim explains Dóchas focus on complex trauma and “elite client care,” its sanctuary-like approach, and plans for the Dóchas Resilience Foundation to expand access to mental healthcare. She reflects on scaling during COVID, navigating imposter syndrome, and learning through unplanned growth.

ESG Bulletin – May 2026

Wed, 13 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Global: We have a bumper bulletin for May, with recent developments indicating a clear expansion of litigation risk, regulatory scrutiny and judicial intervention across environmental and human rights issues. Novel climate change and supply chain litigation and green claims continue to feature, and we also have important updates on sustainability regulation in the UK and EU.

Trade mark trends in focus: Highlights from the IP Australia 2026 Annual Report

Wed, 13 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Australia: The 2026 IP Australia report has once again shown vigorous activity in the trade mark sector in Australia. According to the report, 2025 saw a record number of trade marks filed in Australia (some 97,345 trade mark applications filed) representing an increase of 13.3% above the 2024 levels.