Latest Legal Blogs & News | Melbourne Law Firm | HOCW Lawyers

EP Johnson & Davies - Welcome to Hicks Oakley Chessell Williams
01 February 2021
The principals and team of Hicks Oakley Chessell Williams are pleased to announce that our firm has recently acquired the law firm of EP Johnson & Davies (EPJD). EPJD, one of Melbourne's oldest law firms, has origins dating back to the late 1800's. We are delighted that John Davies and Garry Philpott, partners of EPJD, will be working with us as consultants and we are also pleased to welcome Ian Davies, lawyer, to our team. We are delighted that Kim McIntyre, Kylie Beer and Rose Field are coming across as well. All will be based in our Melbourne office and practice predominately in our property and wills and estates departments. Wills and other deeds that were held by EPJD are now held by HOCW. Read More
Congratulations to our new LIV Accredited Specialists - Natalie and James
23 December 2020
We are delighted to announce Natalie Talia, Senior Associate, is now a Law Institute of Victoria Accredited Specialist in Wills & Estates, and James Francis, Senior Associate, a Law Institute of Victoria Accredited Specialist in Workplace Relations. Read More
COVID-19: Proposed changes to insolvency laws to support small business recovery
17 November 2020
On 22 March 2020, the Federal Government announced temporary regulatory measures to help financially distressed businesses get through the COVID-19 pandemic and come out the other side. On 7 September 2020 an extension to that relief was announced, set to expire on 31 December 2020. The Government also announced a proposal for major reforms to corporate insolvency laws for incorporated businesses, with liabilities of less than $1 million, which are facing financial distress. The proposed major reforms are to support small business recovery after the expiry of the temporary COVID-19 insolvency law relief at the end of this year. Read More
Securing a Tenant's Performance Under a Commercial Lease
09 November 2020
The obligations of a tenant to pay rent, care for the premises and obey the provisions of a lease are secured by the landlord’s ability to terminate for breach and take possession of the premises. This right of termination affords limited protection as the breaches are usually substantial before action is taken. Ensuing proceedings can be protracted. Therefore, when entering a commercial lease, it is prudent for a landlord to require the performance of a tenant’s obligations to be secured by a bond, a bank guarantee and/or where the tenant is a company, personal guarantees from its directors. Read More
Grants of probate go digital
09 November 2020
Grants of probate and letters of administration should become almost impossible to misplace, thanks to a recently introduced Victorian system which is swapping paper for digital documents. The Supreme Court recently launched the new online eFiling system, RedCrest-Probate, in a bid to make the probate application process more efficient. Read More
COVID-19: Commercial leasing regulations update
27 October 2020
Important amendments to the COVID-19 Omnibus (Emergency Measures) (Commercial Leases and Licences) Regulations 2020 (Vic) have now come into effect. Here we outline the new information regarding rent relief that both tenants and landlords need to know. Read More

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