Inaugural Australian Law Forum launches for 2025

The Australian Law Forum – run in partnership with principal partner Thomson Reuters – brings legal professionals a unique platform for engaging with clients, connecting with peers, and building relationships across the legal sector.

The inaugural Australian Law Forum will take place on Thursday, 14 August 2025, at The Star in Sydney. Click here to buy tickets.

The event will feature three streams dedicated to BigLaw, SME and boutique firms, and general counsel.

The agenda will deliver tailored insights into the most urgent challenges facing the legal profession today. The forum will spotlight how firms and practitioners can navigate regulatory upheaval, wrestle with the complexities of AI in legal practice, and adapt to evolving client expectations.

Speakers include:

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• Steven Pettigrove, partner, financial services and fintech, Piper Alderman

• Anna Sparkes, chief people officer at Gilbert + Tobin

• Rebecca Kelly, Australia managing partner, Clyde & Co

• Drew Pearson, managing partner, Sydney, Herbert Smith Freehills

• Kirsten Rillo, CEO, Mitimes

• Yogesh Patel, head of family and estate, InfoTrack

• Aaron Goonrey, partner, Pinsent Masons

• Naomi Griffin, partner, co-chair innovation and best delivery committee APAC, Clifford Chance

More speakers will be announced in the coming weeks – click here for speaker updates.

Why attend the Australian Law Forum?

BigLaw

The BigLaw stream will kick off with a session with Clyde & Co’s Australia managing partner, Rebecca Kelly, and Herbert Smith Freehill’s managing partner, Drew Pearson, on how to navigate risk, regulation, and strategy in an uncertain world. During the session, Kelly and Pearson will explore how global instability is transforming client expectations, alongside addressing the regulatory challenges facing corporate Australia.

Next up will be a session titled: “Technology, AI, and automation: Moving beyond hype and towards impact”. In this session, panellists will expose where technology is driving real operational change, where it’s falling short, and how firms can successfully integrate new tools at scale.

With technological advancements reshaping the way law is practised, the final session in the BigLaw stream will examine how business models are evolving in response to new client demands, market pressures, and the realities of a changing workforce.

General counsel

The general counsel stream will explore the sector’s increasing risk landscape, the realities of AI adoption, and how to build future-ready teams.

First up will be a session exploring why in-house counsel must take action now. With rising geopolitical volatility, regulatory scrutiny, and shifting client expectations, in-house teams must effectively navigate this evolving environment to safeguard their organisations from risk.

In this revealing session titled: “Risk is rising – why in-house counsel can’t afford to sit still”, panellists will unpack the forces disrupting the compliance landscape that lead to increased legal risk. It will also touch on legal leaders’ evolving expectations and demonstrate how in-house teams can influence the broader business in a heightened risk landscape.

Later, panellists will deep dive into the world of AI, exploring how in-house teams are adapting to automation systems. This session will see panellists examine how AI is transforming legal service delivery, where limitations still lie, and what’s needed to safeguard in-house leaders in an evolving workforce.

The stream will wrap up with a future-focused session where panellists will outline how in-house teams are evolving to lead, attract, and retain talent in today’s competitive environment.

SME and boutique law

SME firms, boutiques and barristers are operating in a market defined by change. With the rapid introduction of AI transforming the sector, this stream will explore how smaller practices can navigate external pressures while providing exceptional service to clients.

The panellists in the stream’s first session, titled: “Stepping out of the shadows: The competitive forces affecting smaller practices”, will discuss what competitive dynamics are at play for boutique firms and how this impacts the sector’s traditional roles and collaboration opportunities.

With more limited access to resources, smaller firms must consider integrating new technologies and ensure they align with the organisation’s needs. This challenge will feature in the next session, where panellists will explore how SME firms are using technology to improve client experiences, streamline their work, and stay ahead in a digital-first market.

This stream will then conclude with the session: “Strategy over size: Human-centred approaches to a technology-motivated world”, where panellists will explore how SME and boutique firms can leverage their strengths as a smaller business to gain a competitive edge.

The Australian Law Forum will be held on Thursday, 14 August 2025, at The Star in Sydney.

Don’t miss out – click here to secure your tickets.

To learn more about the forum, including the agenda and speakers, click here.