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    Legal industry

    Today

    Minters picks up seven partners in PwC raid

    MinterEllison is set to hire seven consulting partners from PwC in the largest single raid on the big four consulting firm since the tax leaks scandal.

    • Maxim Shanahan

    Yesterday

    Bullying allegation at Corrs prompts regulator to get involved

    SafeWork is “making inquiries” into a complaint at the law firm and has requested access to documents, but Corrs says the regulator has no plans to investigate further.

    • Maxim Shanahan

    No more ‘go-away’ money as companies take class actions to court

    Corporate Australia will no longer pay “go-away” money to avoid shareholder class actions after plaintiff firms lost five major cases in a row, a trend lawyers said would encourage more boards to fight cases in the courts.

    • Michael Pelly

    This Month

    Over 70 per cent of lawyers were born in  Australia.

    Hedge fund betting on class actions banks on $135m profit a year

    The fund behind largest litigation deal in history expects to make about $135 million a year from the deal, illustrating the huge profits up for grabs for investors.

    • Ronald Mizen
    AUB boss Mike Emmett.

    Allens, G+T tapped for $200m AUB Group acquisition raise

    Macquarie Capital’s equity desk hit the phones on Wednesday morning, chasing down fresh equity to fund the insurer’s acquisition of Pacific Indemnity.

    • Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood, e and Emma Rapaport
    Advertisement
    arrister Andrew Smith, a Wiradjuri man, gives the welcome to country at a ceremonial sitting in the Banco Court to mark the 200th anniversary of the NSW Supreme Court

    Supreme Court turns 200, with a didgeridoo salute

    An Indigenous barrister and musician had lead roles in a ceremony to mark the bicentenary of the NSW Supreme Court.

    • Michael Pelly

    Allens to be king of the hill in Sydney’s new legal district

    Allens and four other law firms are set to move into the revamped AMP building at Circular Quay as a new legal district in Sydney develops towards the harbour.

    • Maxim Shanahan and Campbell Kwan
    Kevin Lewis

    Directors welcome ‘no change’ report on disclosure laws

    A review of continuous disclosure laws says the end of the no-fault regime for class actions has had no impact on “meritorious” claims

    • Michael Pelly
    AAT

    Law graduates are about to crack a salary record

    Top-tier graduates will earn more than $100,000 this year – in Sydney only – but law firms remain tight-lipped on pay rates despite moves towards transparency elsewhere.

    • Maxim Shanahan
    Russell Mailler is one of two executives replacing the late Juan Martinez at HWL Ebsworth.

    HWL Ebsworth anoints ‘co-pilots’ to replace the late Juan Martinez

    Australia’s largest legal partnership, HWL Ebsworth, has new leaders who are hoping for “not such a combative relationship with the media”.

    • Michael Pelly
    MinterEllison CEO Virginia Briggs says rather than feel excluded by the firm’s AI program, some graduates are excited to work with the technology.

    If AI can do the work of a grad lawyer, what does a grad lawyer do?

    As tech increasingly takes on the legal grunt work, MinterEllison is trying to rethink the work and skills of its young lawyers.

    • Hans van Leeuwen
    Former Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin said in 2022 the company hired Deloitte to investigate a cyber attack

    Optus denies ‘cloaking’ Deloitte report on 2022 cyberattack

    A press release published after Optus’s 2022 cyberattack had legal purposes, even though they were never mentioned, Optus has argued in a court appeal.

    • Jenny Wiggins
    Alex Gerbi, Quinn Emanuel’s London co-managing partner.

    New lawyers to earn $341,600 as London talent war explodes

    Wages for new hires at Quinn Emanuel will rise by tens of thousands from next month in a recruitment blow to Magic Circle rivals.

    • Eir Nolsoe
    CBA

    CBA victory shows tide is turning on shareholder claims

    The decision is more proof that shareholder claims are no longer a lay-down misere, lawyers say.

    • Michael Pelly and Lucas Baird
    America’s largely unified political left is sustaining momentum.

    How the US Supreme Court became a political organisation

    When judges make decisions that should be left to politicians, they undermine democracy.

    • Amanda Stoker
    Advertisement

    Thomson Geer takes 4.9pc stake in ASX takeover target

    Law firm Thomson Geer has built a 4.9pc stake in ASX-listed Qantm Intellectual Property, currently the subject of a takeover tussle.

    • Maxim Shanahan

    Allen & Overy merger creates $5.3b firm in push for US clients

    Local managing partner Jason Denisenko says the new-look firm will occupy the same space in the market, but will increasingly take on US firms with Australian arms.

    • Maxim Shanahan
     Gunlom Falls was a popular tourist spot until it was closed in 2019 due to unauthorised work on a walking track

    High Court rejects Crown immunity for sacred sites damage

    The custodians of Kakadu National Park have won a test case in the High Court over a walking track at picturesque Gunlom Falls.

    • Michael Pelly
    Law Council president Greg McIntyre cautioned against casting doubt about the purpose of law firms’ consulting outfits.

    Law Council ‘extremely concerned’ by ATO’s privilege allegations

    In response to comments by Jeremy Hirschhorn to the Senate, the Law Council warned against casting doubt over the purpose of law firms’ consulting arms.

    • Maxim Shanahan
    County Court judge Geoff Chettle.

    Judge cited for ‘demeaning’ conduct in rape case

    Victoria’s judicial watchdog has found that Judge Geoffrey Chettle ‘infringed the standards of conduct generally expected of judicial officers’.

    • Michael Pelly