The Australian Bar Association has criticised “flawed” methodology used to analyse the competency of judges, weighing in on controversy over the Australian Law Reform Commission’s handling of a submission to its judicial impartiality inquiry.
Barristers’ costs for a three-day hearing over alleged unfair dismissals of two childcare workers, which exceeded the $60,000 the workers were awarded, could have been avoided with a more “realistic” approach to negotiation, the Fair Work Commission has said.
Herbert Smith Freehills this week escaped a cross-claim that its advice made it liable for the alleged losses of Arrium’s lenders, but the judge who tossed the claim along with the banks’ cases expressed doubts about one of the law firm’s key arguments, a warning to other firms caught up in litigation as so-called concurrent wrongdoers.
Ashurst is expanding its financial regulation practice with the appointment of consumer credit expert Hong-Viet Nguyen from HWL Ebsworth Lawyers.
Baker McKenzie has been accused of negligence in a cross claim by Chinese lender Aoyin, which faces a lawsuit by accounting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers for unpaid fees over advice related to a failed bid to launch a bank in Australia.
Law firm Hall & Wilcox has snagged a new partner from Norton Rose Fulbright to join its construction and project disputes team, as part of an ambitious national growth strategy.
An appeals court has upheld a ruling that Sydney law firm Bartier Perry failed to adequately advise a lawyer about his rights under a partnership agreement, but trimmed a $1.4 million damages award against the firm.
Australian law firm Gilbert + Tobin has advised fintech Afterpay on the largest public acquisition in Australian history under which US-based Square will acquire all of the company’s issued shares in a landmark $39 billion deal.
While employers cannot force employees to get a COVID-19 vaccine, law firms are launching campaigns to encourage staff to sign up for the jab.
A magistrate being investigated for sexual harassment by a first-of-its-kind judicial conduct panel has been suspended on advice from South Australia’s chief judge.