Business of Law

KSF Kramer's litigation practice is getting a boost, with three new partners appointed in Australia to meet strong demand for its class action defence expertise, in addition to seven new partners appointed across other practice areas.

Sparke Helmore has hired a property lawyer with experience on major projects and her team from Moray & Agnew.

The solicitor wife of South Australia Court of Appeal president Justice Mark Livesey is under investigation by the state's legal watchdog for forwarding client files to her husband.

The partnerships of Ashurst and US firm Perkins Coie have voted to approve their merger, paving the way for the creation of a powerhouse firm with 3,000 lawyers across 23 countries with ambitions to lead the way on AI.

The Law Council of Australia has announced a key milestone in its decade-long push for greater gender pay equity at the Bar.

Law firms will soon face costly new compliance obligations under the anti-money laundering counter-terrorism finance regime that will need to be finely balanced with their core professional and ethical duties, experts say.

Corrs Chambers Westgarth has hired a competition specialist from Magic Circle firm Slaughter & May to join the firm's Sydney office as a partner. 

A Melbourne silk wants to set aside a default judgment in a negligence case brought by a former client, claiming he should have the chance to defend his professional reputation. 

The High Court has been asked to weigh in on whether lawyers need to examine the underlying contracts in a dispute before determining whether a claim or defence is likely to succeed, in a challenge to the dismissal of a negligence suit against a Sydney solicitor.

Jones Day has poached the head of Clayton Utz's construction practice, with the reputable parter to join the US-based firm at a pivotal time for major projects.