August
Top law firms locked in negotiations for lucrative panel
Corrs, HSF, KWM and MinterEllison are yet to be appointed to the federal government’s legal panel, more than a month after an initial announcement.
- Maxim Shanahan
July
Rebel Corrs group seeks move to King & Wood Mallesons
Five partners in Corrs’ employment practice are in discussions to shift to rival firms, after some in the group voted against a controversial contract extension.
- Maxim Shanahan
Rapid growth puts pressure on law partnership structures
Almost two-thirds of new legal partners are now on a part-salary arrangement as rapid growth puts pressure on equity allocations.
- Maxim Shanahan
More law firms hit gender targets as partnership gap narrows
A record number of law firms now have more than 40 per cent female partnerships, but part-owner gender ratios contrast sharply with the engine room.
- Maxim Shanahan
June
Energy transition lights a rocket under law firms
Law firms are streaking ahead of the broader economy, adding partners as deals return and the energy transition offers decades of lucrative work.
- Maxim Shanahan
Why Hong Kong ‘is still good’ for commercial lawyers
Australian lawyers are missing out on opportunities in Asian markets, says a newly promoted partner at King & Wood Mallesons.
- Maxim Shanahan
Top law firms question AI’s usefulness
The technology, which has been touted as a revolution in legal practice, will streamline basic tasks but is likely to have limited impact on core legal work.
- Maxim Shanahan
May
Law graduates are about to crack a salary record
Top-tier graduates will earn more than $100,000 this year – in Sydney only – but law firms remain tight-lipped on pay rates despite moves towards transparency elsewhere.
- Maxim Shanahan
April
Tax Office warns law firms over consulting push
ATO second commissioner Jeremy Hirschhorn said he was worried law firms would repeat the mistakes of the big four professional services firms with their push into consulting.
- Maxim Shanahan
Savers with $3m-plus super could pay double tax on earnings
Labor’s plan to increase the tax paid on earnings for super accounts with more than $3 million could sting savers twice, experts have suggested.
- Updated
- Hannah Wootton
Taxing judges’ pensions bad for independence, women
A former Federal Court chief justice says the reforms were likely unconstitutional and would stymie efforts to improve the number of women on the bench.
- Hannah Wootton
Progress on free trade deal for foreign lawyers
Australia and the UK have taken the first steps toward a free trade agreement for lawyers that will relax strict rules around the admission of foreign lawyers.
- Michael Pelly
March
From housing commission flats to law firm CEO
Long-term head of HWL Ebsworth Juan Martinez built the nation’s largest legal partnership on the back of hard lessons from a harsh childhood.
- Michael Pelly
Ashurst picks up four partners as law firms march into consulting
The new hires from PwC and CBA continue law firms’ march into consulting, and comes after King & Wood Mallesons last month established its own advisory division.
- Maxim Shanahan
Top law firms eye big growth in South-East Asia strategy
Australian lawyers say work in the region suffers from a perception problem, despite the complex, high-value deals emerging from fast-growing markets.
- Maxim Shanahan
February
How to get a job at a top-tier law firm
Mere legal ability is no longer enough to secure a prized top-tier clerkship. Firms are looking for excellence in all aspects of life. Here’s our guide.
- Maxim Shanahan
Q+A time at Woodside, Santos; due diligence extended
The two sides have been presenting to each other for weeks, and now it’s follow-up time.
- Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
Celebrity defamation on the decline after ‘prominent losses’
New Gadens partner Marina Olsen says the Ben Roberts-Smith saga has discouraged defamation cases, but privacy law changes could spell bad news for media outlets.
- Maxim Shanahan
January
Coal play WICET taps King & Wood Mallesons for $3b refi
The Queensland coal port is back in focus as its looming refi puts lenders’ environmental, social and governance policies to the test.
- Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
December 2023
Santos, Woodside bosses met in recent weeks, deal ‘5pc’ advanced
The nascent talks have included at least one in-person meeting between Woodside CEO, Meg O’Neill, and her counterpart at Santos,
- Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport