US multinational firm K&L Gates has lured a partner and four solicitors from HWL Ebsworth for its growing corporate practice, just a month after poaching three other partners from the firm.
From the ongoing saga of the high-profile Christian Porter action against the ABC to “backyard” litigation testing the serious harm bar, defamation cases made headlines in 2022, with winners and losers alike shelling out millions to lawyers to protect their reputations.
The Australian Law Reform Commission has recommended the government abolish exceptions for religious schools in federal anti-discrimination legislation, but permit schools to give preference to prospective applicants on religious grounds.
Two former staffers of senator Jacqui Lambie who represented themselves in an unsuccessful unfair dismissal case have been hit with nearly $50,000 in legal costs each due to their “unreasonable conduct” in the case, including attempts to turn the proceeding into “a trial by media.”
Insurance law firm Wotton + Kearney has lured a MinterEllison partner and her team to its recently established Adelaide office, as well as a special counsel from Barry.Nillson.
Thomson Geer has lured a long-standing partner from Adelaide firm Finlaysons to lead its banking and finance team after its former banking head partner decided to end his 40-year stint with the firm.
Nine Entertainment and Marcus Bastiaan have reached a settlement which includes a contribution to legal costs but no damages in a defamation case over a 60 Minutes segment accusing the former Liberal powerbroker of branch stacking.
Clayton Utz has snagged an energy regulatory expert who has worked as general counsel at AusNet and was formerly a partner at Herbert Smith Freehills to join its Melbourne corporate practice.
A Corrs Chambers Westgarth veteran known for his work defending the Catholic Church has left the law firm for rival Wotton + Kearney, taking with him a number of senior associates as well as the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne.
ASIC commissioner Sean Hughes will step down next month after taking a role with investment manager Vanguard – which paid a $40,000 fine to the corporate watchdog just last month.