Oceania/Australia - Page 17
Law firm bullies weigh down mental health and job performance, study suggests
A new study from Australia has found that private practice lawyers are more likely to have alcohol and substance abuse issues than any other professionals, with incidents of workplace mistreatment also at alarming highs.
New chapter dawns in Australian media ownership law
The Australian government is dismantling two key media laws in what Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has called 'the most significant media reform in Australian media in a generation.'
Slater and Gordon halts trading ahead of half-year results
Investors wait with bated breath as embattled ASX-listed law firm Slater and Gordon prepares to report its financial performance for the last six months.
Major Australian in-house departments pilot 'lawyer-swap' program
Lawyers from two top Australian law departments have traded places as part of a three-month secondment program, the first of its kinds for in-house counsel.
Push and pull: how to lose law firm talent
The latest CommBank Legal Market Pulse reveals what makes top lawyers want to stay with their firm, and what pushes them away.
Betwixt clients and shareholders listed lawyers face tough conflicts, warns Australian judge
An Australian High Court judge has weighed in on the current legal and financial turmoil engulfing listed law firm rivals Slater & Gordon and Shine Lawyers.
Jones Day chases Australian resource slump to Brisbane
With a new office opening in Brisbane, US law firm Jones Day will be well positioned to capitalise on the growing wave of project-related disputes springing up from Australia's resource sector downturn.
Australia-listed Shine Lawyers halves earnings forecast
Shares in listed Australian personal injury law firm Shine Lawyers plummeted 75 per cent last week, after it confirmed that several of the cases used to form its earnings guidance may not ultimately succeed.
Australian legal chat room serves 1,000 clients in just four months
A free online legal advice platform launched in South Australia has taken off, providing legal advice to more than 1,000 users since October last year.
Ex-judges appointed to represent Australian journalists in secret data access hearings
Following the passage of Australia's controversial data retention laws, two former judges have been hand-picked by Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to represent journalists when the federal government seeks to access their personal data.
Melbourne lawyer accused of sexual harassment
A senior Melbourne lawyer is facing accusations that he sexually harassed a female colleague over seven months last year, allegedly sending her explicit photos and bombarding her with unwelcome, sexually explicit text messages.
Public broadcasts should support open access to justice, says Australian lawyer
Law Society of South Australia president David Caruso is looking to put a 'Gen-Y' spin on open justice, recommending that high-profile court cases should be filmed and broadcast to the public.
Banks appoint advisory firm to examine Slater & Gordon's books
National Australia Bank and Westpac, Slater & Gordon's lead financiers, have installed McGrathNicol as investigating accountants to make a forensic examination of the law firm's books.
Controversial Australian anti-gang laws used to bring charges for the first time
A new set of controversial anti-gang laws, described by some lawyers as 'guilt by way of means of association', have been evoked by South Australian police to bring charges against five men.
Clyde recruits five-partner insurance team in Australia
Clyde & Co is recruiting a team of five partners in Sydney from Lee & Lyons to boost its insurance team in Australia.
DLA and Norton Rose partnerships shrink in Australia
DLA Piper and Norton Rose Fulbright are two of the biggest international names to demonstrate a trend for reducing partner numbers in Australia in 2015, according to research from Beaton and Macquarie Bank.
High activity predicted for M&A legal sector next year
Mega deals and greater inflows of foreign capital are expected to be features of a strong M&A market in Australia in 2016, according to an analysis by Herbert Smith Freehills.
Law firms receive wave of work due to insurance sector M&A
Consolidation in the insurance sector is creating a surge in M&A work in the Australian legal market that has been rippling out from in-house lawyers to their legal advisers.
PwC legal arm makes aggressive push in Australian market
PwC has recruited a senior lawyer who was previously at Gilbert + Tobin with the aim of better understanding how law firms work, rather than simply acquiring legal practices and letting them develop at arm's length.
Australia - how law firms are adapting to the market
Not even three months into the beginning of this year, Australian insurance law firm Wotton + Kearney was warning about the hacking dangers facing the country's insurance sector.