Latest
New EY partner Emma Hawthorne on her ‘duty of care’ to clients
The new partner handles service delivery issues, connects her clients to global EY services and makes the “captain’s call” on what is pitched to clients.
Consulting’s new frontier is built on trust
The consulting industry is moving away from a legacy of rigid frameworks and generic tech-first approaches toward something more human.
Sponsored
by Alchemy
Luxury Perth tower’s sky-high views require R rating at Ritz-Carlton
Tenants at one of Perth’s most lavish office blocks are being treated to some particularly exclusive views courtesy of a 5 star neighbour.
KWM says global structure has ‘flexibility’ to adapt
The law firm’s Australian partnership was compensated for supporting the financially separate Hong Kong arm in the early days of the Sino-Australian merger.
PwC Australia’s profit slumps 17pc, inaugural audited accounts show
The firm is the first big four accounting group to publish an audited financial report, part of its reform process following the tax leaks scandal.
Data Trackers
Are you guilty of using this year’s most awful jargon?
Here’s the past 12 months in words and phrases that professionals love to use, and what they’re really saying. We hope to never see any of them again.
Inside the undoing of PwC
For the first time, the Financial Review tells the story from the perspective of the people inside PwC and the Tax Office.
Professional Moves
KPMG appoints 67 new partners, while almost 90 head for exit
The move means the consultancy group’s Australian partnership is projected to be 657-strong as of July 1, down from 676 a year earlier.
The three phone calls Gee made after becoming a new Deloitte partner
Gayathiri Balachandra is one of only 35 new partners at Deloitte Australia, an intake that is the smallest at the firm in more than a decade.
After a break-up, this lawyer traded Canberra for Geneva
Expat lawyer James Munro moved to Switzerland – where he advises on international trade disputes – and found love.
This Month
‘The Great Wall of China’: Can the KWM experiment last?
This week on The Fin podcast: professional services reporter Maxim Shanahan on why King & Wood Mallesons is struggling to manage risk and conflicts across its jurisdictions.
KPMG appoints 67 new partners, while almost 90 head for exit
The move means the consultancy group’s Australian partnership is projected to be 657-strong as of July 1, down from 676 a year earlier.
The three phone calls Gee made after becoming a new Deloitte partner
Gayathiri Balachandra is one of only 35 new partners at Deloitte Australia, an intake that is the smallest at the firm in more than a decade.
Case closed: No criminal charges in Slater and Gordon email saga
An internal Slater and Gordon investigation identified a former employee as a suspect, but this was not sufficient for cybercrime detectives.
Calls for tougher rules amid KWM drama
The senators who led the inquiry into the PwC tax leaks scandal say King & Wood Mallesons’ troubles expose flaws in the governance of top law firms.
Heydon, Porter headline constitutional law conference
The disgraced High Court judge and former attorney general are top billing for a Perth legal conference.
Boston Consulting Group fires two partners over Gaza aid work
The consulting firm has fired two partners for “unauthorised work” related to a contentious US-backed effort to overhaul aid distribution in Gaza.
‘We didn’t have a hope in hell’: KWM’s cautionary China tale
A corrupt wind farm deal in Montenegro, a controversial Russian legal conference and the financial problems of one of its most senior executives have thrown the spotlight on the Sino-Australian law firm.
Why lawyers are overworked and (relatively) underpaid
Lawyers are employed to work 38 hours a week, but that is a fantasy at most of Australia’s top-tier law firms.
Freehills’ M&A rainmaker lands at Ashurst in law firm shake-up
Tony Damian has joined Ashurst, where it is hoped his leading practice will boost the firm’s competitiveness with the likes of Allens, Freehills and KWM.
Kelly Partners CEO and Buffett aficionado bypasses ASX with Twitter
Brett Kelly has drawn inspiration from Warren Buffett’s habit of writing open letters to shareholders.
McKinsey leans on AI to do junior workers’ tasks
The firm is increasingly drafting proposals and making slides using artificial intelligence, as the new technology reshapes how consultancies operate.
Federal Court faces audit prospect over legal expenses
The court is again dealing with criticism it is failing to properly disclose spending.
Waislitz and Pratt drama is running out of lawyers
Billionaire Alex Waislitz may have lost Arnold Bloch Leibler’s services, but he’s got plenty of other lawyers on his books.
Inside the legal fight rocking billionaire Alex Waislitz
The wealthy investor is embroiled in two messy legal disputes: one with his ex-wife Heloise Pratt and the other with the sister of his wife-to-be.
May
Consulting: the next generation
Next-generation consulting firms operate with less bureaucracy, more agility, and delivery models that prioritise transparency and adaptability over scale.
Sponsored
by Alchemy Solutions
Justice Michael Lee plans holiday, screenplay
Apparently, there’s already parties keen to produce the play set in Sydney in the 1930s.
Indonesian lawyer accuses Arnold Bloch Leibler of tax advice fail
Benny Tabalujan is suing the well-connected firm and says he would have relocated to Singapore if it had not been for its “wrong and incorrect” advice.
Bank details of lawyers, judges at risk in cyberattack
The Legal Profession Board of WA said bank details had been stolen from its systems in a cyberattack on Tuesday.
McKinsey sheds 10pc of staff in two-year profitability drive
The job cuts, which are among the largest in McKinsey’s nearly 100-year history, reflect the sharp slowdown in revenue growth across the consulting market.