News

A law firm that engaged a solicitor as an independent contractor has been found to have employed and dismissed her, after the Fair Work Commission ruled that the reality of the working relationship outweighed the terms of their contractor agreement.

The NSW Supreme Court’s Chief Judge in Equity has labelled a barrister’s apologies for civil contempt of court as “mealy-mouthed” and ordered him to pay a $25,000 penalty.

Murdoch University has appointed Professor Alan Berman, previously the dean of law at Charles Darwin University, as the new dean of its School of Law and Criminology.

A rural-based boutique firm director has highlighted the challenges and opportunities of taking over an established practice, sharing lessons on succession, leadership, and modernising a firm while preserving its community roots.

Directors who deliberately diluted a minority shareholder’s 25 per cent stake in an alleged squeeze-out scheme have been ordered to personally pay more than $700,000 in compensation.

An investigation by Australia’s privacy watchdog has found employees of an India-based subcontractor accessed a limited number of Australian court recordings and transcripts, but no further regulatory action will be taken.

Lawyers Weekly and principal partner Lawyers On Demand, a Consilio Company, are delighted to present the annual Corporate Counsel Awards, the biggest and best celebration of in-house talent Down Under.

Global law firm Ashurst Perkins Coie has appointed Lisa Dobbin and Josh Black as Sydney-based partners in its consulting business, Risk Advisory, with Dobbin to lead the financial crime offering and Black to expand its data and technology capability.

A small-business owner has given insight into the dangers small businesses face when larger corporations exploit their products after Temu copied several items from their clothing store.

Companies have legitimate reasons to keep legal advice and investigation materials confidential. But when whistleblowers are left in the dark, questions arise about who controls the findings – and whether accountability can exist without transparency.