This Month
ASX hits 8700; BHP’s $2.6b blowout; Behind email that blew up Minters
Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.
‘Unprecedented’: Behind the email that blew up Minters
Veteran lawyer Peter Bartlett lifts the lid on the saga that led to the exit of MinterEllison chief Annette Kimmitt.
The hidden ways top law firms pick graduates (and what they now pay)
From small talk to receptionist feedback, firms have developed subtle ways to judge candidates before they enter the formal interview.
‘Generational challenge’: Energy transition powers legal sector
Ashurst partner Aylin Cunsolo says Australia is at a critical point where ageing fossil fuel generators are being retired and need to be replaced.
Firms brace for AI to come for the prized six-minute billable unit
Despite a desire for fixed-fee arrangements and a shift in attitude among law firm leaders, the traditional method remains the charging tool of choice.
Explore the Law Partnership Survey results for the first half of 2025
Firms are performing strongly, thanks to demand for advice around corporate disputes, energy transition and infrastructure deals.
Revealed: The law firms that have grown (and shrunk) the most
Strong demand for corporate dispute, energy transition and infrastructure legal advice has created a two-speed legal market.
June
Law firms take more graduates even as AI does the grunt work
Using generative AI for junior-level work is now standard across the country’s largest law firms, but the overriding need for accuracy in legal work means graduates remain in high demand.
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.
April
How hackers are using AI to trick their way through cyber defences
The jury is still out on whether these new tools are more helpful to hackers or cybersecurity professionals. The tech has led to an era of deepfakes and suspicion.
March
Big billing MinterEllison partners in line for more lucrative paydays
The top-tier law firm has followed some of its major rivals in creating a larger gap between top earners and the rest of the partnership to prevent poaching.
Hacker claims Oracle breach, sending business and agencies scrambling
Australia’s biggest companies rushed to check their systems after a hacker claimed to have stolen important credentials via tech giant Oracle.
December 2024
MinterEllison sets target of 80pc using AI by March
The majority of lawyers and partners at the big six Australian law firm will be required to use the new technology in their daily work next year.
Explore: Law Partnership Survey results for second-half of 2024
The latest results show law firms continue to perform strongly, boosted by big-ticket deals, litigation assignments, and the steady flow of fees from insolvencies and disputes.
It was a boom year for law firms. But signs of a slowdown have emerged
Law firms held their gains in the second half of 2024, but some leaders are wary of rising pressures on price and profit margins.
MinterEllison raids PwC, KPMG to build up consulting arm
Consultants now make up almost 10 per cent of fee-earners at the firm, as clients prove increasingly willing to seek non-legal advice from law firms.
Strategy firm hires former Scyne, PwC partner
Oliver Wyman continues to build up its government consulting practice with the hire of Tim Jackson, expanding the team to 25.
November 2024
Government legal spending hits $600m
Commonwealth spending on legal fees increased rapidly before an overhaul of the government panel, but barristers’ bills were trimmed.
Seven PwC partners join MinterEllison
New partner Nicole Salimbeni said law firms make more natural homes for some advisers than big four consultancies.
October 2024
Why the $5m lawyer is no longer a rarity at top Aussie firms
Top law firms are forking out more than $5 million a year to poach or protect big-billing market leaders from rivals, amid intense industry competition.