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While a law firm grappled with a former client over an unpaid $450,000 bill, a major legal body was hit with a ransomware attack, and a BigLaw practice announced its latest promotion round. Here is your weekly round-up of the biggest stories for Australia’s legal profession.
For the week from 26 to 30 May, these were the 10 most-read stories on Lawyers Weekly (in case you missed them):
1. Firm secures legal bill after client ignores advice
A Sydney law firm has fought and won against a client to hold onto a legal bill worth $450,000 after it and counsel withdrew from her case because she failed to accept and act on its instructions.
2. Sydney solicitor shot after ‘targeted attack’ in Granville
A Sydney lawyer and a man with alleged links to organised crime have been shot in Parramatta, with one currently in critical condition.
3. Lander & Rogers promotes 44, including 10 partners
National law firm Lander & Rogers has elevated 44 senior lawyers in its 2025 promotions round, including 10 to the partnership.
4. AI discrimination lawsuit against Workday expands to collective action
A lawsuit containing allegations that HR platform Workday’s AI recruitment tools had discriminatory impacts on applicants will now move forward as a nationwide collective action.
5. Court slates lawyer’s ‘scandalous, outrageous’ allegations
A former partner of a major law firm was criticised for the “objectively scandalous and outrageous” submissions he made without proper basis, including a claim that judges of the Federal Court had allowed legal practitioners to engage in serious misconduct.
6. WA Legal Practice Board confirms ransomware attack
The Legal Practice Board of Western Australia has suffered a ransomware attack, with hackers claiming to have exfiltrated 300 gigabytes of data, including limited contact details, correspondence and bank account information.
7. Legal team seeks damages for termination of ‘high-volume’ retainer
Having lost about $125,000 worth of work per month, the legal arm of a debt collection company fought against a client’s termination.
8. Firm unsuccessfully sued for $300k over ‘loss of enjoyment’
After losing a Federal Circuit Court hearing, a woman attempted to sue a Melbourne boutique firm for $1,250,000, part of which included a claim for damages over “loss of enjoyment, stress and depression”.
9. Tribunal hears request to remove barrister because brother was expert witness
A tribunal was asked to remove a barrister from a compensation matter because the expert witness for the other side was his brother.
10. Negligence case against firm tossed out
A lawsuit against a Bankstown law firm was tossed out for failing to plead “in clear terms” what it was alleged to have done wrong.
Naomi Neilson is a senior journalist with a focus on court reporting for Lawyers Weekly.
You can email Naomi at:
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