Tony Abbott received discounted legal advice in relation to a complaint brought in the Fair Work Commission by a design institute academic who was investigated by his former employer over a story about the prime minister’s daughter Frances.



“I am receiving legal services on a reduced fee basis from Seyfarth Shaw Australia Pty Ltd in an action made pursuant to part 3-1 of the Fair Work Act 2009,” Abbott declared in an update to his pecuniary interest register dated 11 August.

The declaration came shortly after the academic brought action against his former employer, the Whitehouse Institute, in the Fair Work Commission and named Abbott as one of a number of respondents. Government sources confirmed that the discounted legal advice related to this case.

In May, Guardian Australia reported Frances Abbott had attended the Whitehouse Institute on a “chairman’s scholarship”, which other students had been unaware existed, and which had only been granted on one previous occasion. Questions were raised as to whether Abbott should have declared the scholarship on his pecuniary interests register.

Seyfarth Shaw specialises in employment law and opened in Australia last year. There was a confidential conference about the case in Sydney on Tuesday.