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High corporate salaries, BigLaw expansions, and takeover bids: What’s hot in law this week (6–10 May)

While a listed firm has been debating competing acquisition offers, Australia’s courts saw some significant procedural outcomes, and legal salaries are once again front of mind. Here is your weekly round-up of the biggest stories for Australia’s legal profession.

user iconLawyers Weekly 11 May 2024 Big Law
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For the week from 6 May to 10 May, these were the 10 most-read stories on Lawyers Weekly (in case you missed them):

  1. Senior lawyer dumped from roll for taking credit for paralegal’s work
A Supreme Court ordered a lawyer to be removed from the roll after it was told he took credit for his paralegal’s work and attempted to discredit her as part of a ploy to charge his client more.

  1. Regional lawyer who slept in office says she was forced to quit
Criminal charges, a Christmas Day fight with a neighbour, and concern about where she and her five cats would sleep plagued a regional lawyer who claimed she was “forced” out of her former firm.

 
 

  1. Judge criticises class action lawyers for taking $2.5m from group members
A Federal Court judge criticised the legal practitioners behind a settlement approval application for taking six days away from the busy court and costing group members more than $2.5 million.

  1. Corporates pay highest average legal salaries, report says
Legal professionals have an average salary of $102,100 – but new research from the College of Law has shown that law firms pay, on average, less than government and big corporates, with 35 per cent of lawyers in firms also not receiving a salary increase over the last two years.

  1. IPH moves to acquire QANTM
IPH Limited has submitted a non-binding proposal to acquire QANTM Intellectual Property Limited, with what the former calls a “significant premium” on that being offered by other interested parties.

  1. RBA makes May 2024 cash rate call
After holding the cash rate in 2024 so far, will the Reserve Bank hold or increase the cash rate in its May interest rate decision? Find out in this special announcement, brought to you by Legal Home Loans.

  1. Clyde & Co partner, plus team of 4 lawyers, join Sparke Helmore
National firm Sparke Helmore has added a partner, special counsel, senior associate, associate, and lawyer from global rival Clyde & Co for its specialty lines team.

  1. Family lawyer told client to ‘ignore’ divorce hearing
A family lawyer was reprimanded for purposefully delaying divorce proceedings and advising his client to “ignore” the hearing.

  1. Keypoint Law expands into Perth
Emerging BigLaw firm Keypoint Law, which operates a consultancy model and is celebrating its 10-year anniversary Down Under, has launched in the west with a consulting principal hire, meaning it now has a presence in six major Australian cities.

  1. Winners of the Corporate Counsel Awards 2024 announced
Lawyers Weekly and principal partner LOD + Consilio recognised more than 30 winners at this year’s Corporate Counsel Awards.