This Month
‘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.
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
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.
May
Former deputy NAB CFO trades banking for law
Six months after signing off from the Big Four bank, Greg Braddy has been snapped up by law firm Clayton Utz as its incoming CFO.
Third-party risks are no longer someone else’s fault
In this hyper-connected world it’s important to remember that ensuring the protection of data along the supply chain is essential.
March
US law firm King & Spalding readies Australian assault
Street Talk understands the Atlanta-headquartered multinational is exploring opening an Australian beachhead.
Global private credit funds set to storm Australia
The attraction of this rapidly rising sector to investors of all sizes is the promise of security and consistently high returns.
February
Tech bros share the riches (with their lawyers)
Lawyers are cashing in on the legal scandals rocking the start-up world, but it’s tougher for those footing the bill on the other side to the founders.
Law firms prep for year ahead by poaching big names from rivals
The big firms have capitalised on a soft professional services market, spending the summer picking off partners and staff for their own ranks.
December 2024
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.
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.
The law firms trawling through corporate scandals
Demand for law firm-led investigations has grown but concerns remain about their independence and probative value.
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.
Ashurst, Freehills, Clayton Utz in hiring spree
Top-tier law firms are looking to capitalise on the weakness of the big four, opportunities in the energy sector and the high levels of insolvencies.
August 2024
Clayton Utz raids MinterEllison office
Clayton Utz has hired four partners from rival MinterEllison as part of a push to bolster its Canberra office and win more government legal advisory work.
July 2024
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.
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.
More Baker McKenzie exits as firm declares turnaround
Two more partners have left for other firms, but Baker McKenzie says it returned double-digit revenue growth in FY2024.