News

After the Hayne royal commission, summer bushfires and now COVID-19, lawyers in the insurance space have learned to expect the unexpected.

Getting corporate deals over the line has become trickier since the outbreak of coronavirus, meaning that firms and legal departments must effectively collaborate to ensure successful outcomes.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was almost too easy for Victoria Police to register an informant with legal obligations – now, after a royal commission and some public scrutiny, the police force has strengthened the policies around registering a lawyer for information.

The child abuse royal commission can now reveal Cardinal George Pell’s role in the cover-ups of notorious paedophile priests, “gossip” fears and an alleged bribe.

DWF has appointed a new principal lawyer who brings a team of six to bolster the firm’s growing national employment practice.

Herbert Smith Freehills has advised Pacific Magazines, part of the Seven West Media Group (SWM), on the sale of its magazine business to Bauer Media.

The Law Council of Australia has welcomed the release of the government’s exposure draft bill underpinning the COVIDSafe app but says some issues raised by the council are yet to be incorporated.

The devastating deaths of residents at the Newmarch House nursing home have prompted calls for an inquiry into the handling of all cases of COVID-19 in elderly patients.

A digital solution is essential for commerce and will bring benefits for business during these challenging times, write Anthony Walsh and Elise Ivory.

For law firms already cognisant of the need to be adaptable in ever-changing professional environments, the coronavirus-inspired pivot should have been easy.