A new report from a global law firm shows a decline in the number of new class actions across the country. This, one partner reflects, could constitute a “normalisation” of such litigation following the flurry of activity seen after the Hayne royal commission and other market factors. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by King & Wood Mallesons partner Eleanor Atkins to discuss her longtime interest in litigation, her firm’s annual report, The...

In a decade, consulting model firm Keypoint Law has established itself as a national mid-tier, with 80 partner-level lawyers in six capital cities – but one of its biggest challenges moving forward, its CEO says, is that around half of the law firm partners across the country have never heard of it. Becoming better known and having its model better understood, he says, will see the emerging firm become an even bigger player in Australia.  In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host...

Recent allegations of workplace bullying in parliamentary offices are a stark reminder that, in high-pressure professional environments, “bullying cannot be normalised or excused, and the wellbeing of staff must remain a priority”, says one senior human rights and discrimination lawyer. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Elevate Consulting Partners founder Prabha Nandagopal, who was the senior legal adviser to the Respect@Work inquiry, about the...

In this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, produced in partnership with The College of Law, we reflect on how the new Right to Disconnect laws can and will facilitate mindset and communication shifts in professional services workplaces and why those in law should see these laws as a “moment for potential growth”. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Florence Thum, a lecturer and assistant director in NSW for PLT at The College of Law, about her reflections on the advent and passage of...

A few months ago, Joseph Catanzariti AM turned 65 and thus had to retire from his position as vice president of the Fair Work Commission. His search for work in the months since, he says, has been more fraught than anticipated. Here, he reflects on the biases against senior lawyers who are willing and able to undertake full-time work, the wellness impacts of such ageism, and how he has looked to adapt following his tenure at the nation’s workplace tribunal. In this episode of The Lawyers...

Job-sharing in law is not common. However, for the co-general counsel of Wesley Mission Queensland, working in tandem brings myriad personal and professional benefits. In this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with the co-general counsel of Wesley Mission Queensland, Tala Prowd and Helena Kolenbet, about how their job-sharing arrangement came to be, why such an arrangement makes so much sense for them both (personally and professionally, the operational...

Global law firm Bird & Bird is celebrating 10 years in operation in Australia. To mark that occasion, the firm’s Australian head and managing partner spoke with Lawyers Weekly about the decade that has been, what the future holds, and where the firm sees opportunities Down Under and offers advice to aspiring managing partners. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Bird & Bird Australian head and managing partner Shane Barber about his journey...

The School of Law and Society at the University of the Sunshine Coast recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary. Here, its dean, Professor Jay Sanderson, reflects on the decade that has been, what’s coming in the future, and how to overcome the issues and trends facing current students and, ultimately, the legal education environment. In this episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Professor Jay Sanderson, dean of law at the University of the Sunshine Coast, about...

Jane Bowes cannot recall a time when she was ever as happy and motivated to go to work as she is right now. However, to get to this place, she has overcome hardship and trauma, found success through failure, and learnt – over the course of her vocational journey – that being a “rough diamond” is one of her biggest strengths. In this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Bowes Legal principal and director Jane Bowes about her unconventional entry into the...

Having fallen pregnant shortly after starting her law firm, Melanie Vairawanathan understands not only how imperative it is for law firms to accommodate the idiosyncratic needs of employees but also how essential it is to do so in ways that minimise costs and optimise the quality of legal services. In this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Melmark Law founder Melanie Vairawanathan about breaking away from the mould of traditional gender roles, the...

Research shows that, in recent years, there has been a huge uptick in the number of women professionals leaving their roles in the face of myriad employer shortcomings, both to address idiosyncratic needs and in light of certain unconscious biases. Legal employers, among others, must address such concerns better if they are to retain top female talent. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back freelance general counsel Anna Lozynski to discuss how and...

Here, an IP lawyer who produced a film that qualified for nomination at the Oscars, discusses her longtime passion for cinema, balancing her filmmaking with working as a sole practitioner, and how storytelling helps with arguments in the law. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Slater Intellectual Property Lawyers principal Anny Slater about how she ended up in IP law, how she came to love film early on in life, the first film that sparked her passion, her film The Ball and its subsequent...

In this special edition of The Corporate Counsel Show, produced in collaboration with Lawyers on Demand, A Consilio Company, we examine the rising significance of self-hosted AI solutions in the legal sector and how they compare to traditional “closed” AI service providers. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Consilio senior prototyping engineer Mitchell Scott about the rise of self-hosted AI models in legal technology, exploring the advantages and disadvantages of this new approach. Scott...

Increasingly, ownership of digital assets and resources will form part of estates and, at present, there exists a “real conflict” in how those heirlooms will be treated, as compared to traditional assets like property. The evolving legal landscape, one principal says, requires a different approach to thinking about legal advice. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Tiyce & Lawyers principal Michael Tiyce about the struggles Australian legislation...

Here, we bring you an episode from Lawyers Weekly’s sister brand, HR Leader, in which we unpack the headline hurdles facing the human resources departments in professional services businesses, such as law firms, and how HR can and should manage those issues. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Swaab head of people and culture Angela Sharpe about her work at the Sydney-based mid-sized firm, what motivates her about working in the HR space, navigating talent shortages and increased competition...

Here, we bring you an episode from Momentum Media’s newest show, Contested Ground, in which Joe Hockey, former Australian ambassador to the United States, joins hosts Phil Tarrant, Major General (Ret’d) Marcus Thompson and Steve Kuper to discuss the continued importance of the relationship between Australia and the United States. The trio discuss the fallout of the latest presidential debate between contenders, former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, touching on the...

Australia and its legal profession are embracing diversity more than ever before. Here, one Indigenous law student reflects on her experience interning with a BigLaw firm and how others can put themselves forward for more and better opportunities. In this episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with McCabes intern Lara Jash, a Yuin and Kamilaroi woman, about how and why she came to study law and her experience in the profession thus far, the internship program she is...

In this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, produced in partnership with Evolve Resolve, we unpack how lawyers can become more than just technically proficient and transition into leaders that the professional services marketplace both needs and increasingly demands. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Evolve Resolve founder and director Damien van Brunschot about his journey in the legal profession (including being managing partner of the Australian arm of a global firm), how he...

As someone who loves sports and loves being a lawyer, sports arbitration is the “best job in the world” for Alexis Schoeb. Here, he reflects on the nature of such work, recent high-profile disputes, and why he thinks this practice area can and will grow exponentially in Australia in the near future. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Peter & Kim partner Alexis Schoeb about his background practising arbitration, including sports arbitration, in...

At present, the National Children’s Commissioner says, Australia is failing to ensure that the safety and wellbeing of children is a priority. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by  National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds, from the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), to discuss the recently released report – ‘Help way earlier!’: How Australia can transform child justice to improve safety and wellbeing – and what it says about the...

Nikolina Tully runs Australia’s first all-pink law firm (with an all-pink café attached to the firm’s premises). Here, she discusses her strategy and motivation behind such colour-based branding – including to provide hope for clients. In this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Tully Law founder and legal practice director Nikolina Tully about her early years in the legal profession, how and when she decided to launch her own firm in the personal injury...

This year, national law firm Carroll & O’Dea celebrates its 125th anniversary. Here, its managing partner reflects on the firm’s journey and where it sees itself moving forward. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Carroll & O’Dea managing partner Hanaan Indari about having spent her entire career at the one firm, how she rose to become its managing partner, the challenge of taking over the firm at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the...

While so-called “Mr Big” undercover police operations have resulted in convictions in some of Australia’s most notorious cases, such as the Daniel Morcombe murder, the admissibility of confessions elicited during such operations and the reliability of those statements may demand further scrutiny. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with RMIT University College of Business and Law lecturer Dr Lisanne Adam and University of Sydney senior psychology...

Over the weekend, new legislation to prevent instances of foreign bribery in Australia came into effect. Here, we discuss what those laws entail, the potential impact on businesses, and how best to move forward, particularly in a time of increased regulatory scrutiny. In this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with A&O Shearman counsel Jessica Zoller about her interest and career in white-collar criminal matters, what is meant by the term “foreign...

While treating clients with respect is a longstanding expectation, there are a number of factors driving a need to employ greater empathy from lawyers. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Coutts Lawyers & Conveyancers partner and head of injury, compensation and employment law Karena Nicholls about her passion for her practice areas, how she looks after herself given the subject matter, the need to be trauma-informed, and what being empathetic...