Australia

Norton Rose to Wed Major Australian Firm

A major international firm that is considered one of the top legal shops in London is acquiring a 146-partner Australian counterpart, setting the stage for greater dominance by Norton Rose Group in the Asia-Pacific region. The merger with Deacons was approved by a partnership vote last night and will take…

Jun 24, 2009 12:18 AM CDT

Beyond Business Casual: Barefoot Lawyers Seek Shoe Donations

In a move sure to raise the eyebrows of professional attire traditionalists, a law firm in New Zealand is taking business casual to a new level in a bid to help individuals who need shoes. Attorneys at Lowndes Jordan in Auckland will be sponsored by friends and family to kick…

Jun 17, 2009 6:04 PM CDT

Aussie Firm’s Managing Partner to Go Homeless for Night

The chairman of Deacons’ Sydney office, Nick Abrahams, plans to spend the night in the open next week as part of his firm’s effort to raise money for homeless programs. Abrahams will be among some 200 other senior executives and business leaders taking part in CEO Sleepout to benefit the…

Jun 11, 2009 5:52 PM CDT

‘Frills and Fripperies’ Cut at Australian Law Firms

Law firms in Australia are cutting costs, evaluating everything from technology budgets to purloined meals. Holding Redlich managing partner Chris Lovell told ALB Legal News that the economic downturn has his firm taking a close look at the budget. “There are a lot of totally discretionary costs that we should…

Mar 10, 2009 11:58 AM CDT

Dow is Down, But Stock of Aussie Law Firm is Up, Literally

Despite the gloomy world economy, stock in the world’s first publicly owned law firm is doing just fine. Not quite two years after it went public in May 2007, the market capitalization of Australia’s Slater & Gordon is now $113.5 million, compared to an initial valuation of $89.7 million, reports…

Feb 26, 2009 10:41 PM CST

Nearly 200 Dead in Australian Fires; Top Official Cites ‘Mass Murder’

As residents fled for their lives and Australian firefighters battled more than 30 blazes in Victoria in the country’s worst-ever bushfires, authorities say some of the deadly conflagrations that have burned at least 741,000 acres were intentionally set. “Police declared incinerated towns crime scenes Monday, and the prime minister spoke…

Feb 9, 2009 7:15 PM CST

In Seeming First, Aussie Court Says Default Judgment Can Be Served on Facebook

Updated: In an apparent first in Australia and, possibly, the world, a judge has OK’d a plan to serve a default judgment on a non-appearing defendant via a social networking website. Although service previously has been allowed by e-mail and text message, a master of the Supreme Court of the…

Dec 15, 2008 7:06 PM CST

An Australian Priest’s Estate is Settled ... 70 Years After His Death

A Catholic priest in Australia apparently had a will when he died in 1938. But confusion caused by the way in which he had handled an older sister’s estate and court delay prevented it from being settled until now. During that time, Michael Joseph Treacy’s initial estate of not quite…

Oct 16, 2008 6:12 PM CDT

Revenue Up 27% at World’s First Publicly Owned Law Firm

The world’s first publicly owned law firm has seen its revenue rise 27 percent since it made a public stock offering a little over a year ago. Australia-based Slater & Gordon reports that it had revenue of not quite $70 million, in U.S. dollars, and saw a 42 percent increase…

Aug 21, 2008 4:41 PM CDT

‘Damning Picture of Dissatisfaction’ at Australian Law Firms

More than half of the lawyers in private practice in Australia are thinking about leaving their law firms, a survey by a legal recruiter has found. Among those looking for greener pastures, the Mahlab survey found, roughly one-quarter want to move to bigger firms, one-quarter want to move to smaller…

Aug 13, 2008 6:00 PM CDT

New Zealand Judge Renames Girl, Says ‘Talula Does the Hula’ Was Poor Choice

A fed-up judge in New Zealand thought the name “Talula Does the Hula From Hawaii” was an embarrassing name for a 9-year-old girl involved in a custody battle, so he decided to change it. Judge Rob Murfitt made the girl a ward of the court so he could make the…

Jul 24, 2008 2:51 PM CDT

Lawyer for David Hicks Says Habeas Ruling Could Help His Client

The lawyer for a former Australian detainee at Guantanamo says yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling finding a right to habeas corpus could help his client. David Hicks is no longer in jail, but a reversal of his conviction would allow him to sell his story for a profit, his lawyer David…

Jun 13, 2008 11:50 AM CDT

Sudoku-Playing Jurors Scuttle Australian Drug Trial in 66th Day

An Australian judge was notified about a curious habit of some jurors hearing a drug conspiracy trial. They were thought to be taking notes, but for some reason they were writing vertically rather than horizontally. The jurors, it turned out, were playing Sudoku, the Associated Press reports. The jury foreman…

Jun 10, 2008 3:02 PM CDT

1st Birthday of 1st Publicly Owned Law Firm, Slater & Gordon

Exactly one year after Australia’s Slater & Gordon became the world’s first publicly owned law practice, on May 21, 2007, the personal injury law firm is doing well, with significant growth and a share price 35 percent above its initial value. But, perhaps most noteworthy, it is looking much like…

May 21, 2008 3:24 PM CDT

Thumbs Up to Web Code of Conduct, Thumbs Down to Facebook Ban

Almost half of all Web users would support an Internet code of conduct for bloggers and other Internet commentators, according to a survey by an international megafirm. But a growing number of observers question whether employer attempts to ban workers from using social networking sites like Facebook make sense. “A…

May 13, 2008 10:02 PM CDT