Best wishes for the New Year from CLARS
2025 has been a big year for the Centre for Commercial Law and Regulatory Studies (CLARS).
In 2025, CLARS offered a wide range of seminars and networking events that brought together distinguished scholars, judges, legal practitioners, members of the business community, regulators and students. These activities provided opportunities for discussion of some of today’s most important business-related issues and advanced CLARS’ commitment to high level research and thought leadership in commercial law and regulatory studies. There is perhaps no better indication of CLARS’ impact than the Malaysion Government’s request that the Centre establish a hub in Kuala Lumpur. In 2025, a major collaborative research project on modernising Malaysia's contract law framework was underway at our new hub.
L to R: Rebecca Maslen-Stannage, CLARS Director Professor Jennifer Hill, Professor Roy Shapira, Monash Law Dean Steven Vaughan.
We would like to thank everyone who contributed to making 2025 such a successful year for CLARS. Particular thanks go to CLARS Donors, Advisory Board members, CLARS Interns, and also to Arnold Bloch Leibler (ABL) and Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer (HSFK), who co-hosted several events with us.
Set out below are a few of this year’s highlights. Please join the CLARS mailing list and follow us on social media and we look forward to reconnecting with you in the New Year.
In the meantime, we hope you have a wonderful holiday season with friends and family.
Best wishes,
Jennifer Hill (CLARS Director) and Steve Kourabas (CLARS Deputy Director)
| 2025 Bob Baxt AO Panel on Corporate Reputation The panel featured barrister Ruth Higgins, SC, Carmel Mulhern, independent director, and Professor Roy Shapira, visiting scholar from Harvard and Reichman Universities. Monash Law Dean, Professor Steven Vaughan, and HSFK Chair, Rebecca Maslen-Stannage, introduced the event, which was chaired by CLARS Director Professor Jennifer Hill. |
 | Corporate Governance in an Era of Geoeconomics Professor Curtis Milhaupt, Stanford Law School, explored how geoeconomics is reshaping corporate governance amid rising geopolitical and regulatory pressures. |
 | CLARS Law and Business Seminar: Specialist Directors Professor Roy Shapira, Reichman and Harvard University, discussed the rise of directors with the specialised skill sets designed to address new and emerging global risks. The event was co-hosted by Arnold Bloch Leibler. |
 | In Whose Best Interests? Directors' Duties in Government Owned Corporations This seminar featured Michael Lishman, who is a Monash Law PhD candidate, a former KWM partner and acting president of Australia’s Takeovers Panel. |
CLARS NEWS FEED
The CLARS News Feed keeps you up to date with thought leadership, featured speakers, and key developments in commercial law and regulation.
CLARS news feed
 | The ACCC-Monash Australian Competition Summit 2025 Monash University and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) convened the first annual Australian Competition Summit at the Park Hyatt in Melbourne’s CBD. |
 | Sport Integrity Australia’s Match-Fixing Working Group Forum CLARS’ Member, Associate Professor Eric Windholz facilitated this important initiative by Sport Integrity Australia, aimed at addressing the risk of match-fixing in Australian sport. |
CLARS PEOPLE
 | Brian Bero joins the CLARS Advisory Board Brian Bero is one of Australia’s most senior and respected First Nations corporate and commercial lawyers. |
 | New Members In 2025, CLARS welcomed twelve new academic members, including Monash Law’s new Dean, Professor Steven Vaughan. |
SUPPORT OUR WORK
CLARS is committed to advancing legal education that addresses the most pressing commercial and regulatory challenges of our time. Your donation - whether large or small - helps us fund high-impact research, contribute to student development, and host thought-provoking public events.
Donate today