With the legal industry looking for ways to “share the pain” among staff amid a potential slowdown in work due to the coronavirus, several top-tier firms told Lawyerly they had no immediate plans to slash salaries or reduce staff hours.
With new lockdown measures being rolled out on a daily basis to combat COVID-19, vast numbers of Australians have found themselves working from home, many for the first time. As employers and staff scramble to set up makeshift home offices and navigate the world of video conferencing, lawyers are reminding their clients not to forget the legal risks that come with remote working.
As states across Australia shut down non-essential services and close borders in the battle to control the spread of the coronavirus, companies are turning to their lawyers for guidance on everything from contracts to disclosure obligations, staff reductions to workplace health and safety issues. Lawyerly talked to practitioners to find out what was on the minds of their corporate clients.
An employee in Allens’ Brisbane office may have been exposed to the coronavirus, according to the firm, which has ordered that all staff begin working remotely as of Wednesday.
The number of lawyers working at home continues to grow as the coronavirus spreads in Australia, with four law firms ordering staff to pack up and work from home, and more expected to follow their lead.
Two law firms have mandated that staff begin working from home to limit the spread of the new coronavirus, while others begin shifting their workforce offsite as firms test their ability to weather what is expected to be a prolonged public health crisis.
A court has tossed a case by the ACCC against Ramsay Health Care claiming that the global hospital group misused its market power by pressuring a group of doctors who planned to open their own day clinic.
An Australian burger chain launched as a tribute to the popular American burger franchise In-N-Out has lost a trade mark infringement lawsuit, with a judge finding its name choice was “deceptively similar” and “cheeky”.
The former CEO of Respiri has levelled a slew of claims at the ASX-listed medical technology company and two of its former directors, including breach of the Fair Work Act, as well as failure to pay short term incentives (STI) and vest options valued at $2.2 million.
Baker McKenzie has nabbed former King & Wood Mallesons special counsel Charlie Detmold for the law firm’s key banking and finance practice in Melbourne.