On Just Terms

In this episode of On Just Terms, Jason Betts and Melissa Gladstone continue their conversation with Stuart Price, CEO of CASL, focusing on the practical realities of litigation funding.

The discussion examines how funders balance commercial returns with fairness to group members, manage competing stakeholder interests, and respond to evolving market dynamics, including contingency fees, legal finance models and emerging technologies shaping the future of complex litigation.

In this episode of On Just Terms, Jason Betts and Melissa Gladstone speak with Stuart Price, CEO of CASL, about the role litigation funding plays in Australia’s corporate risk landscape.

The conversation explores how funders assess and select cases, the legal and commercial factors that influence funding decisions, and what these dynamics mean for companies facing complex litigation. Stuart also shares insights into how risk appetite, case selection, and regulatory settings continue to shape the evolving litigation funding market.

Season 2 Episode 1: From Compliance to Capability: AUSTRAC’s Expectations for Corporate Australia

In this episode of On Just Terms, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer disputes partners Jason Betts and Bryony Adams speak with Brendan Thomas, CEO of AUSTRAC, about the evolving financial crime risk landscape facing corporate Australia.

Over the course of their discussion, Mr Thomas shares a number of invaluable insights about AUSTRAC’s expectations about the ways in which companies manage financial crime risk, with a particular focus on common mistakes and what ‘good’ looks like.
 
This is a ‘must listen’ for any directors and executives at companies whose services are caught by Australian anti-money laundering laws but will also be of interest more generally to anyone with an interest in the governance and oversight of non-financial risk.

In this episode of On Just Terms, Jason Betts is joined by Elizabeth Collins SC and Imtiaz Ahmed who are both Barristers at Sixth Floor Chambers. Both deeply experienced in the conduct of class actions litigations, including shareholder class actions, they discuss advocacy in complex commercial litigation, the operation of the class action regime and the nature of practice at the commercial bar.

Exploring the links between royal commissions and class actions, the funding of our major corporate regulators, director and officer obligations, and best practice briefing when working with barristers. 

In this episode of On Just Terms, Herbert Smith Freehills partner Jason Betts is joined by Michael Pelly, Legal Affairs Editor, Australian Financial Review (AFR) to discuss the reporting of legal affairs, trending reforms in class actions, and the issues more likely to grab future headlines in Australia.

In a time of significant change where the legal sector is reshaping itself and risks are evolving quickly, they discuss ideas discuss the dynamic evolution of class actions and their potential to drive social change, the adversarial nature of litigators, and balance, efficiency and proportionality in the judicial system.

In this episode of On Just Terms, Jason Betts is joined by The Hon. Justice Sarah C Derrington AM President of the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC), their discussion covers reforms to class actions practice, changes to the corporations law and the future direction of commonwealth law reform.

Her Honour shares insights into the factors impacting class actions, approaches to modern litigation including mega-litigation, the future of the ALRC, and the role serendipity has played in her career.

In this episode of On Just Terms, Jason Betts is joined by Jacob Varghese Chief Executive Officer of Maurice Blackburn Lawyers to discuss the litigious environment relating to social justice causes including their models of funding.

Jacob shares his perspectives on the use of class actions to seek access to justice, the regulatory pyramid, group costs orders, and emerging trends including the gig economy, and crypto. They also discuss the legal profession more broadly and the economic realities of a profession remunerated on input rather than value.

In this episode of On Just Terms, Jason Betts is joined by President of the NSW Court of Appeal, the Honourable Justice Julie Ward. Her Honour shares perspectives on efficient management of complex litigation, challenges presented by class action multiplicity, and the evolving nature of legal practice in the post pandemic era.

Elevated to the bench from partnership, Justice Ward shares her unique understanding of the interactions between corporate lawyers and the courts - discussing procedural fairness, advocacy and the invaluable nature of mentoring relationships.

In this episode of On Just Terms, Jason Betts is joined by Cain Jackson Partner of Wotton Kearney and Paul O'Brien Director of YPOL. Together they discuss the growth in class actions and its impact on insurance markets, as well as the ESG exposures shaping the next chapter of risk.

From the impact of litigation trends on insurance markets, through reconciling individual stakeholder interests, and how consideration of corporate culture may be being overshadowed by climate concerns – this conversation explores what’s keeping directors awake.

In this episode of On Just Terms Jason Betts is joined by two of Herbert Smith Freehills partners, Aoife Xuereb and Bryony Adams, to discuss emerging themes in the litigation and regulatory contexts, perspectives on product liability and Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AMLCTF), and the meaning of commerciality for litigators.

Their discussion covers the observance of overseas trends in ESG, cyber and data considering Australia’s commercial litigation framework’s response, a potential product liability renaissance, the stakeholder equation, the top 5 issues keeping boards awake and alert.