Oceania/Australia - Page 19
Clients on warning as class action numbers double in Australia
An increasing number of litigation funders has made class actions easier to bring, according to research from King & Wood Mallesons, meaning that many more businesses could be vulnerable.
IP teams lead Australian firms on growth expectations
Law firms are facing 'really tough' short-term conditions, but 86 per cent of them are expecting to see a growth in their intellectual property work, according to research from the Commonwealth Bank's Legal Market Pulse survey.
Digital platform set to sweep through Australian property practices
Six out of ten law firms working in conveyancing are planning to adopt the digital platform PEXA (Property Exchange Australia) within two years, according to a survey of 500 practitioners.
Law firms in workflow boost as China ups investment in Australia
A 'phenomenal' upturn in work, thanks to Chinese investors, is having a 'very positive impact on workflow' on law firms in the big cities of south-eastern Australia, according to a Brisbane law firm.
Law students question value for money of degree
Nine in ten of Australian students believe there is an oversupply of law graduates and there is rising concern over the amount they pay to study and whether universities invest profits on law degrees into medicine and other subjects.
Australia comes poor second as rival to Singapore arbitration hub
Australia could be a 'fabulous place' for international arbitration but its geographical location is a disadvantage and so far it 'just hasn't taken off', according to a leading barrister with experience of Australia, Singapore and London.
Tech company sets up DIY law service for SMEs
LawPath, an Australian business, has set up a database of 200 legal documents in a relationship with LexisNexis which allows users to download and customise the texts.
Infrastructure work goes into boom in Australia
A programme of government privatisations is fuelling a boom in infrastructure work and M&A activity in New South Wales - a boom which could last a decade, according to Norton Rose Fulbright.
Legal crowdfunding grows as legal aid funding declines
Casefunder has become the latest Australian online platform to be set up to fund legal cases - a trend that has accelerated as access to legal aid has been cut back.
Australian firms warned: adapt or perish
CEO of AdventBalance Ken Jagger has predicted that traditional Australian firms will continue to struggle to maintain their market share, as US and UK firms flood the market and boutique specialist firms increase their dominance.
Australian firms gear up for multi-billion energy disputes due to last years
Norton Rose Fulbright and Corrs Chambers Westgarth are said to have been building teams for two years to handle a series of disputes in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry that are expected to last years and involve 'mind blowing' sums.
DLA Piper expands Perth office with Hardy Bowen corporate team
DLA Piper has announced that Michael Bowen, Scott Gibson and Marc Wilshaw of Perth corporate law firm Hardy Bowen have joined the firm as partners, in a move which significantly increases DLA Piper's corporate capability.
Law firm set to charge NQs for receiving supervision
A law firm in Adelaide - an area suffering from a shortage of legal posts - plans to charge A$22,000 to newly-qualifieds for an 'investment in the future' through which they receive the supervision necessary for a full practising certificate.
McCullough Robertson ups the ante for banking and finance clients
The independent Australian firm has introduced fixed fees and made another top hire.
New members recruited for Hall & Wilcox insurance team
Business law firm Hall & Wilcox has hired an additional 37 team members, all coming from Sparke Helmore. They join a senior associate and five partners who moved to the firm in April.
Allens becomes first top-tier Aussie firm to launch start-up team
Allens Accelerate has been priced at a level to attract early-stage businesses - despite the fact that large, international firms would usually be seen as being too pricy for debutant entrepreneurs.
Domestic Aussie earnings fall 25pc in five years
The domestic work generated by Australian law firms has shrunk by a quarter since 2010, according to Nicky Lester, the co-head of Hogan Lovells in the country.
Lawyers fall innocent victim to organised crime, says Aussie government
Lawyers are being used by organised crime to hide and launder money - and often this happens without the legal practitioners being aware of the true purposes of their clients, according to a government report.
KPMG increases focus on corporate and property law practices
The Big Four accountancy firm is actively working to build up its employment, corporate and real estate legal services teams in Australia - rather than concentrating on tax, according to its head of tax controversy, Jeremy Geale.
Top Australian GCs set up group to influence parliament
The new group, GC100 - which includes half the top lawyers from the Australian Stock Exchange 100 - intends to lobby on a range of areas from data protection to corporate governance and practice management.