As much of the country celebrates the King’s Birthday long weekend, here is your weekly round-up of the biggest stories for Australia’s legal profession.
For the week from 2 to 6 June, these were the 10 most-read stories on Lawyers Weekly (in case you missed them):
1. Fake solicitor, firm defrauds clients out of $450k
For about four years, an NSW man pretended to be a solicitor so he could defraud his clients out of more than $450,000.
2. Firm to pay $427k to former client for negligence, breach of duty
While many of its former client’s allegations were shut down, a western Sydney firm was still ordered to hand over $425,000 for a failure to exercise reasonable care and skill, making a monetary benefit in breach of fiduciary duty and a breach of trust.
3. Blackmores investigated for alleged B6 toxicity in vitamins
Blackmores is being investigated for a potential class action over the allegedly toxic levels of B6 in its vitamin supplements.
4. Barrister leaves profession following disciplinary action on broken promises
A barrister was reprimanded and barred from working in the profession for a year after he failed to carry out a brief despite giving the firm that retained him multiple assurances that he would do so.
5. Moray & Agnew promotes 25, including 6 to partner
National law firm Moray & Agnew has unveiled its latest round of promotions, elevating 25 lawyers to more senior roles, with six of them being appointed to partnership.
6. Strike-off for lawyer caught drug dealing, laundering proceeds of crime
A Queensland lawyer convicted of drug dealing and money laundering offences will be struck off the roll of practitioners.
7. ‘The GC waiting room’: Why in-house lawyers are feeling stuck
Determined in-house lawyers are increasingly finding themselves stuck in what one executive general manager has dubbed “the GC waiting room”. But what impact does this have?
8. 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.
9. Sydney solicitor shot after ‘targeted attack’ in Granville
A Sydney lawyer and a man with alleged links to organised crime have both been shot in Parramatta, with one currently in critical condition.
10. Baker McKenzie adds another former HL lawyer to banking and finance practice
After hiring a banking and finance partner from Hogan Lovells (HL) earlier this year, global law firm Baker McKenzie has added another senior lawyer from the firm after its exit from the Australian market.
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