From the SMH last...

From the SMH last Friday:

1. ASICsuestechfirmNuixwhilespendingmillionsonitssoftware

This masthead (SMH) brought word last month that troubled tech company Nuix – a CBD usual suspect – was in strife with the corporate regulator for allegedly breaching continuous disclosure obligations, allegations the company denies.ASIC claims that Nuix chair Jeffrey Bleich and board members Rodney Vawdrey, Susan Thomas, Daniel Phillips and Iain Lobban breached their duties by failing to take reasonable steps to prevent Nuix from making misleading statements and breaching continuous disclosure obligations and the Federal Court will have to sort the whole thing out.Field of dreamers: Ryan Papenhuzen and Laurie Daley. SHAKESPEAREBut CBD’s sharp-eyed informants have spotted a delicious irony in this matter.Federal government tender documents show that ASIC is a NUIX client, and a handy one at that, signing a $5 million with the company for services between April this year (well after issues at the outfit were first reported) and 2024 on “early case assessment and evidence management software and support”.So it looks like the regulator could have built and managed its case against NUIX, using the company’s own software.But here’s the thing, ASIC wasn’t alone. Last year, Nuix’s Sydney offices were raided by the Australian Federal Police, in relation to a separate criminal investigation being conducted by ASIC.At the time, the AFP were locked in a $2.1 million contract for “provision of software licenses” with, you guessed it, Nuix, which is not talking publicly about the ASIC prosecution.An ASIC spokeswoman said it would not comment on its investigative sleuthing techniques, especially in a matter before the courts.“ASIC does not consider that the use of NUIX’s services to be relevant to, or impact upon, ASIC’s enforcement action against NUIX,” she said.“ASIC has robust processes and procedures in place to ensure that its regulatory and enforcement decisions are independent of its procurement activities.”No doubt. But those client-vendor meetings must be, um, interesting.’