Oceania/Australia - Page 20
Energy sector cuts lawyers and relies on finance team for legal brief
Signs have emerged - in the energy hub of Perth - that straitened energy businesses have started to lay off lawyers and to rely on finance officers and others to liaise with external counsel over lawsuits and other matters.
Regulator pressure leads to more lawyer appointments in Australia
The Australian financial services regulator ASIC is becoming so short of resources that lawyers are starting to fill the breach by taking on official roles as compliance consultants to banks and other institutions.
Australia follows US in client auction service for lawyers
An auction service - in which lawyers can bid for work offered by potential clients - has been set up in Australia, following the example of four similar schemes in the US.
Four in ten Aussie firms plan to grow by recruitment in 2015/16
Most Australian law firms are planning to recruit in the next 12 months - but the majority of them will merely replace departing staff and a minority expect to recruit to increase their teams.
Minter Ellison strengthens Perth disputes team
The law firm has appointed a leading Western Australian disputes specialist to head up its Perth disputes group.
Managing partners question current business model
Students may need to develop more skills before they are taken on by law firms so that they are not seen as a cost burden by clients, according to managing partners in Australia who appear to be rethinking the law firm model.
Big Four accountants forced to defend legality of tax advice in Australia
Already under pressure in the UK and EU over the lawfulness of their tax advice, the top accountants are being questioned by an Australian Senate inquiry on tax avoidance - as part of government moves to close off loopholes for tax evasion.
Hogan Lovells recruits Allens duo to start Australia multinationals practice
A team of lawyers will be built up from July in Perth and Sydney when corporate finance specialist Tim Lester and banking and finance specialist Nicky Lester move to set up the Hogan Lovells presence in the country.
A third of Australian employers plan to grow legal team in Q2
Nearly one in three employers surveyed in Australia say they are imminently planning an increase in their in-house legal divisions - a reflection of the shift away from natural resources to professional services in the economy, says a recruiter.
Legal staff on flexible working offered less interesting projects
Some Australian law firms are actively discouraging staff to work part-time or flexibly by refusing to let them participate in the most challenging jobs, according to the head of industry body Victorian Women Lawyers.
Managing partners braced for state of flux in 2015
A survey of 34 managing partners in Australia has found that nearly two thirds predict 'a state of flux', while one in five say the predominant theme will be 'pressure from clients' and nine per cent say the market is 'too crowded'.
Inhouse lawyers reveal the drawbacks of role
In-house work can be 'miserable', depending on who you work for, and 'work/life balance' has given way to 'work/life integration', according to readers of Australian magazine Lawyers Weekly who have been giving details on the reality of life inhouse.
Pinsent Masons heads for Australia
UK-based law firm Pinsent Masons is to launch in Australia and has recruited a local team to lead the project.
Australian lawyers accused of hiding client money from authorities
Two former lawyers in the Nyst Legal law firm on Australia's Gold Coast have appeared before the Brisbane Magistrates Court, accused of helping clients hide money away from the state's special financial intelligence unit.
A&O loses corporate duo to Clayton Utz
A corporate partner and an of counsel are joining Clayton Utz in Sydney - the latest moves in a fast-changing lateral hire recruitment market in Australia.
Australian firms slash costs to boost profits
Australian law firms have managed to increase their profits by an average of five over the last year - but, in a climate of falling revenues, they have had to cut costs by 36 per cent in order to do so.
Aussie firms plan expansion as economic prospects worsen
A third of law firms in Australia are planning to open new offices despite a worsening in prospects and business confidence in the last few months.
Australian bank stamps out hourly billing
An Australian bank general counsel has spoken out in favour of long-term relationships.
Australian firms on the hunt for increased revenues
Pressure on revenues is forcing Australian firms to look overseas in a bid to increase turnover.
Father and son legal team sue Australian politician
Chris Hannay and his son Daniel have been accused of contempt of court by the man they are suing for defamation in a A$1.2m suit - Campbell Newman, the premier of Queensland.