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Brooks to be charged over phone hacking scandal
Updated | The former News International executive, Rebekah Brooks, and her husband, Charlie, a race horse trainer and friend of British Prime Minister David Cameron, are to be charged with perverting the course of justice over the News of the World phone hacking scandal.
Women’s law awards up for review
Law firms love using citations from the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency to bolster their marketing material and appeal to graduates, but these awards may soon be much harder to get.
Departing CJ warns on money machines
Retiring South Australian Chief Justice John Doyle says some law firms are money-making machines, and that civil litigation would “strangle itself” unless reformed.
Doing deals in strange terrains
As major law firms adjust to the dramatic increase in the volume of work from clients operating in high-risk jurisdictions, novel methods for avoiding and resolving disputes are coming to the fore.
Equal-share, lockstep models in decline
Law firms around the world are increasingly abandoning a “share and share alike” mentality when it comes to partner pay, opting to make more salaried partners and swapping “lockstep” or equal pay structures for performance-based pay.
Last big trick in Centro circus
The negotiation of the $200 million Centro class action settlement was as full of complexity and intrigue as the mammoth four-year litigation.
Court fees budget rise disappoints
A big hike in federal courts filing fees worth nearly $80 million, announced in the federal budget, risks entrenching a “user pays” system that unfairly burdens litigants, legal groups say.
Judges conflicted over Hardie case
The NSW Court of Appeal will be without some of its most senior judges when it decides the penalties for former James Hardie directors.
Actions speak loudly for shareholders.
Commentators have recently complained that shareholder class actions in Australia consist solely of a transfer of resources from one group of shareholders to another. But this is patently incorrect.
Sex ’n’ drugs ’n’ G&S – it must be law week
Legal groups and courts will celebrate “law week” around the country next week in a bid to demystify the law and raise public perceptions.
Thomson spending may breach electoral act
Craig Thomson is likely to have breached electoral law by failing to disclose nearly $270,000 in Health Services Union funds spent in his campaign for election to the NSW seat of Dobell, experts say.
It’s Kath & kin in Kath & Kim
John Denton dutifully filled in as an extra during recent filming in Europe for the movie Kath & Kimderella. The film is due for release in September. Hearsay has it on good authority that Denton generously waived the usual Corrs Chambers Westgarth hourly partner rate for his time spent on set.
Federal Court may get power, not funds
The federal government is expected to announce the results of its costs review of federal courts after the budget is handed down.
Review of legal aid spending
The adequacy of legal aid funding will be reviewed by federal government-appointed consultants, with a report expected by June 30.
Roxon bids for peace with FMC
Nicola Roxon last week went out of her way to ingratiate herself with disgruntled federal magistrates, who have lodged a High Court challenge against her government.
Adroit advocate for women in the law
Promoting flexible work and addressing the lingering pay gap between men and women will not lead to lower profits in the long run.
The time sheet shuffle
NSW Chief Justice Tom Bathurst is the latest member of the “CJ Club” to dive headfirst into the time costing debate, delivering a pretty savage broadside at “megafirms”.
Opening: SA chief justice retires
Favourites are emerging to replace John Doyle after he announced his surprise retirement this week as Chief Justice of South Australia.
Media review sparks competition concerns
A report recommending sweeping changes to regulation of Australia’s media industry could lead to greater red tape and confusion when it comes to media competition issues, lawyers warn.
Change of resources at Freehills
Freehills has appointed partner Jay Leary as the national head of its resources practice following the departure of John Tivey for US firm White & Case last month.
Hardie ruling raises the bar for directors
The High Court has found that the James Hardie board failed in its duties, raising the bar for directors and making prosecutions easier, in a decision that business groups warned would stop people joining boards.
Ruling threatens boards’ talent pool
Business and professional groups say the long road travelled by former James Hardie directors and officers to eventual defeat in the High Court yesterday may shrink the talent pool for company boards.
Hardie decision a turn-off for directors
Company directors have warned the increasing level of risk and personal liability facing directors means they are likely to become more selective about the types of boards they are willing to sit on.
ASIC lauds Hardie decision
Updated | ASIC has welcomed a High Court finding that seven former James Hardie non-executive directors breached their duties, saying it was a timely reminder to directors of what was expected of them.
Ban on illegal strikes at Woodside gas projects
The Federal Court has banned industrial action on Woodside Petroleum’s massive North West Shelf expansion projects for seven years.
Settlement reached in Lew trust row
Retail baron Solomon Lew has reached a settlement with the former partner of one of his sons in a tense family trust dispute in the Victorian Supreme Court
Is your national law firm likely to merge?
The heads of Clayton Utz, Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Freehills and Minter Ellison talk about whether they will be joining the great law firm merger wave.
How Allens locked up Linklaters in Asia
The two law firm partners who negotiated this week’s deal to form a powerful joint venture in Asia talk to Capital about how the deal was done, and what drives their regional focus.
Attorney-General dumps courts merger
The federal government has abandoned its proposal to merge the Family Court and Federal Magistrates Court, and announced plans to rename the FMC.
Google seeks leave to appeal ad ruling
Web search company Google is asking the High Court to overturn a finding that it published misleading and deceptive advertisements, in a case that has big ramifications for online advertising.
