Business of Law

McCullough Robertson has won its bid to strike out a former client's professional negligence case, with a judge finding that its reliance on “common sense and experience” in its pleading was inadequate. 

Gilbert + Tobin, Holding Redlich, Thomsons and HWL Ebsworth have announced their partner promotions for 2026, with projects and infrastructure among the key practice areas to benefit from this year's appointments.

Australian firms will continue to join forces with firms in the United States in a bid for higher partner profits and in response to client demand for a one-firm, multi-location service, an expert has predicted.

Seyfarth Shaw has hired DLA Piper's former head of labor and employment in Australia to join its team in Sydney.

Law firm Hall & Wilcox has promoted three dispute specialists to partner as part of a bumper crop of solicitors to advance this year. 

Clayton Utz has promoted five senior lawyers to its partnership, including a class actions specialist, the smallest round of promotions this year among the Big Six. 

Law firm Allens has told a parliamentary committee that a court should weigh in on whether parliament's powers to compel information overrode KPMG's legal privilege, as the auditor resists orders to produce documents.

A judge has rejected Hall & Wilcox's bid to narrow the terms of the court's inquiry into whether legal advice it provided to defunct construction group Hastie was reasonable, before a costs assessor weighs in on the firm's $18.6 million legal bill. 

HopgoodGanim has hired a lawyer from Corrs Chambers to join its real estate and development team as a special counsel in Brisbane. 

MinterEllison has elevated seven lawyers to its partnership, including four disputes specialists, as the firm anticipates litigation over major projects and AI-related class actions.