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When it comes to briefing barristers, solicitors lie on a spectrum of awesome to irksome. In a series of interviews with Lawyerly, some of Australia's top counsel reveal what they like and what they don't like about their instructing lawyers.
The courts are to be congratulated for swiftly adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic by introducing virtual hearings, but barristers told Lawyerly they were raring to get back to in-person hearings, and cited numerous disadvantages of holding complex matters online.
Law firms are increasingly encouraging men to take paternity leave, with benefits to both the well being of staff, and the bottom line.
Legislation passed by Victoria state lawmakers lifting the ban on contingency fees in class actions will not lead to US-style litigation entrepreneurialism, but it may also not have the desired effect of encouraging smaller and more risky claims, experts told Lawyerly.
The era of online hearings during the COVID-19 pandemic has made advocacy more challenging for counsel representing parties in litigation, but a happy consequence of the virtual courtroom is an end to intimidation, harassment and in some cases bullying by male barristers and judges, female barristers have told Lawyerly.
Restrictions to combat COVID-19 that forced Australia's courts to go virtual have had unforseen benefits, and Australia's top law firms say they don't want online hearings to be scrapped when social distancing measures are eased.
The reopening of law firm offices in Melbourne and Sydney may still be months away but firms have given Lawyerly a glimpse of what it might look like when staff do return to the office, from split workforces to strictly enforced health and safety rules. One thing is for sure, COVID-19 has changed the way lawyers will work from now on.
With COVID-19 forcing courts to deal with more matters on the papers, written submissions are more important than ever and must be carefully crafted to assist the court while offering clients the best chance of success, barristers told Lawyerly.
Litigation funders say they do not oppose the government's plan to subject them to a licensing regime, but legal experts told Lawyerly the crackdown on funders may go too far too fast and could harm class action litigants.
Voluntary administration was the only option for Virgin, and the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the airline’s decline could present a unique opportunity for the administrators to push the boundaries of corporations law, according to insolvency experts.