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.
The Federal Court will take comprehensive steps to protect court staff, lawyers and litigants from the coronavirus, including expanding the use of videoconferencing and avoiding formal hearings when possible.
A Federal Court judge has acknowledged concerns raised by the accused in a criminal cartel case against mobility equipment provider Country Care and two employees about how an upcoming jury trial will proceed if the coronavirus pandemic worsens, telling the parties the court had already taken measures to control the spread of the virus.
The number of law firms forcing staff to work remotely in response to concerns about exposure to the new coronavirus has grown, with four firms making the decision Thursday to shut down floors or whole offices.
A judge has given Sydney businessman Charif Kazal a third and final opportunity to replead his “simply incomprehensible” case against Gilbert + Tobin over the law firm’s involvement in a business dispute concerning a lucrative waste facility, despite saying it took “an entire week to understand the arcane obscurities” of the pleading.
One of the top Australian executives of Herbert Smith Freehills has advocated for a UK-style quartile pay transparency system Down Under, calling on law firms to air their “dirty laundry” when it comes to the gender pay gap.
A former employment law partner at a national Australian law firm is suing her former employer for sex discrimination, after her original complaint was thrown out by the Human Rights Commission.
A self-represented former client of personal injury firm Arnold Thomas & Becker has successfully blocked an application for summary judgment in a dispute that alleges the firm advised him to accept settlement of his workplace sexual assault case so they could receive their costs.
Herbert Smith Freehills has prevailed in a suit by United Petroleum alleging the law firm and former United chairman Martin Hudson breached their duties to the company when they pulled a planned initial public offering in 2016.
A bidding war erupted Tuesday among law firms angling to lead a $2 billion shareholder class action against AMP, with Maurice Blackburn announcing a “super deal” and Quinn Emanuel besting that with a funding arrangement to “shake up” the market.