In this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, produced in partnership with Commonwealth Bank of Australia, we unpack notable trends – socially, politically, economically – in the domestic and global markets and how Australian legal practitioners can move to further ensure their financial security. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with the chief investment officer for Commonwealth Private, Jason Todd, about his background and interest in markets, the dichotomy between the Main Street and Wall Street experiences, what it says about the current economic climate, and some early takeaways from the recent re-election of Donald Trump and what it could mean for Australia. Todd also delves into how Australia is faring economically relative to global counterparts, why he is optimistic about the Australian outlook, whether now is the time for lawyers to be rethinking their financial strategies, the questions they need to ask of themselves, and practical steps to take in revamping their investments, portfolio and broader financial plans. To learn more about Commonwealth Private, click here. Disclaimer: Any advice provided is general in nature and does not take into account any of your objectives, your financial situation, or your needs. You should consider whether the information is appropriate for you, having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs before you act on the information. Opinions or advice are considered reasonable based on information available at the time, no liability is accepted by Commonwealth Private, its related entities, agents and employees for any loss arising from reliance on its content. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

It can be incredibly difficult to feel empowered to advocate for yourself if you are told you don’t fit the profile for advancement. What can be done? In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with L N Christie & Co lawyer Jessica Karevski about her observations about (and personal experience with) lawyers being told they do not look like someone suitable for leadership, or for a particular job, and what this does to a professional. Karevski also delves into how best to navigate such circumstances, the practical steps to better advocate for yourself and demand a seat at the table, overcoming any fear one might have about doing so, and her guidance to those coming through the ranks. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!  

In this special episode of LawTech Talks, produced in partnership with Clio and recorded at the Women in Law Forum, we unpack what the rapid adoption and utilisation of new and emerging technologies, like AI, means for lawyers’ changing sense of self and their duties to the community. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Clio founder and chief executive Jack Newton and Asia-Pacific general manager Denise Farmer about the lessons and takeaways from 2024 thus far, what these say about where the market is at as we head into 2025, and how Australians are faring relative to global counterparts. The trio also flesh out lawyers’ changing attitudes to what constitutes best practice, the growing appreciation for the changing nature of legal practice, an evolving sense of lawyers’ duties to those around them, and how the make-up of the legal profession and what a leading lawyer looks like are shifting as a result. To learn more about Clio, click here.

In this special episode of LawTech Talks, produced in partnership with Actionstep, we explore the fundamental importance of taking a strategic approach to AI adoption and how and why AI and intuitive automation are deeply interconnected. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Actionstep regional vice president in Australia and New Zealand, Zahn Nel, about the headline challenges law firms have faced in adopting and utilising AI, whether such challenges are preventing firms from fully embracing new technology, the extent to which lawyers remain undereducated about AI, how intuitive automation (IA) can enable law firms to adopt new tools and ways of working, and how identifying suitable platforms informs the formation of a strategic approach to technology utilisation. Nel also delves into what intuitive automation is and why it is so essential in AI adoption, the risks inherent with attempting to adopt AI without IA, how firms can practically move forward, the fundamental questions firms must ask of themselves and their missions, how better strategy can help overcome inefficiency, and how Actionstep can support law firms on this journey. Download Actionstep’s Modernising Your Law Firm guide designed specifically for law firms embarking on (or thinking about embarking on) the journey of implementing new technology. Click here to download. To learn more about Actionstep, click here.

Research has long shown that women leave the legal profession in larger numbers than their male counterparts. Making the workplace more accommodating and supportive is not only a moral duty – it’s also best for business. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Construct Law Group director Aleisha MacKenzie and special counsel Crystal Ray about the lack of support that women have felt from employers over the years, why it is so critical in the modern age to identify ways to better support female professionals, and the dangers of not doing so for firms and their leaders. MacKenzie and Ray also delve into the various ways their firm looks to support women and their development, why it is essential for leaders to recognise the moral and business imperatives of doing so, the flow-on benefits that firms will experience, and why the profession as a whole will be richer for facilitating greater workplace support. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

Following her keynote address at the 2024 Women in Law Forum, renowned reporter Amy Remeikis sat down with Lawyers Weekly to discuss the extent to which meaningful change is occurring following the MeToo movement and what lawyers need to do to enact such change.  Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Amy Remeikis about the key messages from her keynote address at the forum, her perceptions on how well (or not) Australian workplaces are performing in addressing misconduct such as sexual harassment, the prevalence of surface-level changes that lack substance, and where that leaves Australian society relative to global counterparts.  Remeikis also reflects on the role that lawyers can and must play moving forward in not only better advocating for societal change but also in improving the sociocultural environments of their workplaces. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

Australia’s workers’ compensation landscape, given the almost dozen separate schemes nationwide, is “a bit of a fractured mess”. Having a national scheme, one workplace risk director argues, will go a long way in addressing pervasive issues. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Aon workplace risk director Gary McMullen about the current state of affairs with workers’ compensation schemes across the country, why the disparity is causing problems, the “postcode privilege” that exists for some workers, and how schemes are both declining in performance and simultaneously more expensive. McMullen also delves into self-insurance that businesses will take out, the current state of mental health claims nationwide, the potential for lingering issues to get worse, his case for a national scheme, the likelihood that a national scheme can come about, and how team leaders can help their businesses navigate the current landscape in the interim. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

Bronwen Bock and Lucy Bradlow are blazing a trail as Australia’s first job-share political candidates, seeking a Senate seat in Victoria. Parliament, they say, “should be like any other workplace” and not be limited to those who can be available 24/7 for the job, as this diminishes who can represent their communities. Our political climate, the pair argues, is poorer for it. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Bronwen Bock and Lucy Bradlow from the Better Together Party about their respective careers and subsequent interest in running for Parliament as job-sharing candidates, how the community has responded to their job-sharing candidacy, and how our Constitution lends weight to their fight to become Australia’s first job-sharing politicians. Bock and Bradlow also delve into their party and policy positions, why their candidacy has shifted from seeking a House of Representatives seat to a Senate seat, the broader message Australians should take from their candidacy, driving forward flexible working arrangements in our national workforce, achieving gender equality, why more men need to explore job-sharing arrangements, and how others can start to explore working arrangements that better suit their needs. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

Being able to influence people and be the “puller of strings” can be hugely beneficial for lawyers in achieving optimal outcomes for clients and their own development and progress. Simply being a “doer”, one professional argues, may not cut it in the current climate. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Frontier Performance founder and principal Pancho Mehrotra about the importance of understanding lawyers’ need to have influence, how certain personality traits highlight or come into conflict with the need to be influential, and lawyers’ cognisance of the capacity to influence in various settings. Mehrotra also discusses the benefits and flow-on effects of being more able to influence outcomes professionally, how such traits are measured, the perception that others will have about a lawyer’s ability to influence, leaning into positive outcomes and avoiding negative ones, the questions lawyers should ask of themselves to achieve better outcomes, whether being more influential can be learnt, the need to make investments in one’s self, and why lawyers can and should become the “puller of strings”. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

Among the seasonal issues faced by the next generation of practitioners is a sense of having to prove oneself in the face of voluminous market change. This, on top of evergreen hurdles like competitiveness, makes for a challenging vocational environment – however, this landscape is also one ripe with opportunity. In this episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with LIV Young Lawyers president Grace Oakley about why being involved in her member association is so important to her, what she sees as the primary seasonal and evergreen issues facing younger practitioners at this point in time, whether the need to prove oneself is becoming more prominent as a mindset, and the flow-on wellness questions from such challenges. Oakley also delves into the practical steps for young lawyers to take in the face of myriad market challenges, the opportunities to be grasped as we head into the new year, and why she remains optimistic about the experience of the next generation of Australian legal practitioners. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

In this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, produced in partnership with Matthews and Carter Associates, we explore how and why London remains such an attractive destination for Australian practitioners and how best they can secure roles in the British capital. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Matthews and Carter Associates founder and director Anthony Matthews about how he supports the vocational growth of Australian practitioners in finding overseas roles, the current demand for Aussies to relocate in the UK market, and what life is like – both personally and professionally – for those that make the move to the UK. Matthews also dives into the salary expectations for practitioners who relocate, what UK-based firms see in Australians and their competitive edge against global counterparts, how Australians can make lives for themselves overseas rather than simply doing short stints, the practice areas that UK-based firms are currently recruiting for, the size and scope of matters that one can work on, the international recruitment trends to be across, and how best those interested in making a move to London can set themselves up for success. To learn more about Matthews and Carter Associates, click here. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

At present, there exist myriad market and professional hurdles that require lawyers to think more holistically about their professional and ethical duties and, ultimately, help clients “solve some pretty wicked challenges”. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership chief executive Matt Finnis – who is a former lawyer – about the ever-increasing importance of ethical conduct for legal professionals, whether lawyers have a duty to “step up” in the current climate, the responsibilities upon lawyers’ shoulders in the face of current market developments, and the difficulties being faced in managing these. Finnis also delves into the management of conflicts of interest, balancing profitability against professional obligations, ethical stewardship of tech transformation, fostering the right kind of workplace environment, and the need to learn from the mistakes of others in ensuring adherence to one’s professional obligations in the face of challenging market conditions. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

Discovery remains “where cases are won and lost”. Given the physical and technological changes in how discovery is undertaken, ensuring that your team’s processes – particularly in complex litigation – are designed and managed in suitable ways is essential. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with LK special counsel Allie Umoff about her background in litigation, how and why discovery remains crucial for optimal client service delivery, the ways in which discovery processes have shifted and even become more enjoyable, and how good discovery processes are more important than ever. Umoff also delves into how litigation teams can and should think about redesigning their discovery processes, the practical steps to be taken to create a roadmap for success regardless of the client matter, reflections on a case study of good undertaking of discovery processes, the importance of reviewing a team’s success or otherwise in managing discovery, and ultimately what best practice looks like in redesigning and managing complex projects. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

Small law firms that not only understand what their idiosyncratic low-hanging fruit is but are also adept at reaching for it will be much better placed to craft business operations in ways that make sense for the practitioner. In this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back C Legal & Co principal Claire Styles, a former winner of the Sole Practitioner of the Year category at the Australian Law Awards, to discuss what it means to grasp the low-hanging fruit and why this is so essential for boutique practices, how difficult it can be for such practices to understand the need to operate in such ways, and the benefit of learning from experience. Styles also reflects on the law of diminishing returns, the toll of imbalance upon practitioners, the importance of undertaking annual reviews, having the option of allocating your time in ways that make sense to you, how she has gone about grasping the low-hanging fruit for her own firm, opportunity costs, and cost-benefit analyses that will reap rewards for firm owners. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

In the current climate, having a plan in place to develop, maintain and protect the intellectual property of a business is becoming increasingly important. Here, we unpack not just how best to do it but also how and why corporate counsel can get excited about such duties. In this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Procreate head of legal Sarah Standen about her interest in intellectual property, her experience in a greenfield in-house role and why being an inaugural legal counsel is so rewarding, the increasing importance of staying on top of IP matters, and whether IP gets forgotten in the shuffle of other urgent priorities facing law departments. Standen also delves into the consequences of not protecting a business’s IP properly, the fundamental questions the law department must ask when getting started on a plan, the practical proactive and reactive steps to take in maintaining the interests of a business, the flow-on benefits from having in place a good plan to develop and protect IP, and why corporate counsel should get excited about such a transformation project. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

Dunedin Airport in New Zealand recently placed a cap of three minutes to hug and farewell loved ones in the airport’s drop-off zone in order to ensure safety and efficient traffic flow. Here, we unpack what common law precedent tells us about the imposition of such rules in public settings. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Dr Mark Giancaspro, a senior law lecturer at the University of Adelaide and barrister and solicitor in South Australia, to discuss the recent cap on hugs introduced at Dunedin Airport, how and why the rule has been implemented, and why contract law seems to suggest there are no legal issues with such a cap on airport farewells. Giancaspro delves into the implicit acceptance of rules promoted via signage once one enters airport grounds, whether such a rule would violate anti-discrimination laws, whether an individual’s acceptance of the airport’s rules can be implicitly accepted even if communication from the airport is verbal, and ultimately why consideration of such legal quirks is a meaningful endeavour. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

Arbitration is the “mechanism of choice for many transactions”, with a growing appetite for this approach in Australia. However, if clauses are not properly drafted, the benefits of arbitration can be lost, argues one BigLaw partner. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Corrs Chambers Westgarth head of arbitration Nastasja Suhadolnik about her journey and interest in arbitration, the increasing embrace of arbitration in Australia, how and why poorly drafted clauses occur, and the implications when this occurs. Suhadolnik also delves into the myriad benefits of arbitration (when undertaken correctly), what it means to be a good arbitrator, the prevalence of issues with clause drafting, whether Australia risks not being seen as an attractive destination for arbitration, and how best practitioners in this space can service their clients. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

Having recently completed the first year of her law degree, Cassidy Pole’s passion for the rule of law has only intensified. Here, she reflects on what the journey has taught her and what others coming through the ranks can glean from her experience. In this episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Australian National University (ANU) law student Cassidy Pole about what attracted her to the law in the first place, why she chose to move down to Canberra to study at ANU, how and why her passion for the law has intensified, whether the environment of law school has lived up to expectations, and what has surprised her thus far. Pole also muses about managing the juggle of study and work, putting one’s self out there to network and secure employment, why students shouldn’t lose hope about finding work, navigating the stress of one’s workload, staying healthy and happy, where she sees her journey in law heading, and what she knows about herself after one year of law school that she didn’t before. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

The potential implementation of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) in Australia could bring about wholesale benefits across the country, but would also have significant implications for law reform. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Clyde & Co partner Liam Hennessy about his work as a digital economy practitioner, the recently released RBA and Treasury paper exploring the suggested introduction of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) in Australia, and the legal implications for the nation’s monetary system and economy. Hennessy also reflects on the likely need for significant reform across banking, privacy, and consumer protection laws; the presumed benefits across society from the introduction of CBDCs Down Under; how Australia is faring relative to global counterparts on these questions at present; the lessons we can learn from overseas jurisdictions; and what will constitute best practice for lawyers working in this space, particularly when advising clients. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

As a singer and songwriter, senior legal counsel Roderick Smith appreciates that performing on stage allows a musician to cast a spell on an audience and transport them emotionally. He tries, he says, to bring that same energy to the workplace and draw the best out of people so that the law department can best support the business. In this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Novartis senior legal counsel in ANZ Roderick Smith about his journey and work as a musician, what is so rewarding about producing and performing music for him, the vocational benefits he gleans as a lawyer from having such a creative outlet, including having a more holistic perspective. Smith also reflects on his journey as a lawyer and how he came to work in-house, the extent to which his work in the healthcare sector as a corporate counsel informs his songwriting, how he juggles the two seemingly distinct roles, his perception of the myriad challenges facing in-house lawyers as we head towards 2025, and how being a good lawyer and musician is not about what one does, but rather how one makes people feel. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

The floated changes to Australia’s franchising laws, for which the consultation period is still open, could have material impacts on the viability of some franchising models in Australia, argues one BigLaw partner. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Dentons partner Robyn Chatwood about her background and interest in franchising law, the proposed changes to Australia’s franchising laws and why such changes are in motion, how and why this space sees voluminous change, and the potential consequences and outcomes from the proposed changes currently in consultation. Chatwood also delves into the material impacts on the market and whether or not franchises will want to do business in Australia, how best lawyers in this space can advise clients in the face of such change, navigating client fears and anxieties in this time, and issues surrounding deregulation. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

In this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, produced in partnership with Smokeball, we unpack where small law firms are at with their use and understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) and the importance of better utilising emerging technology to, among other things, save time. Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Smokeball chief executive Hunter Steele about his passion for uplifting small law firms, the pace of change with AI relative to other market developments over the years, his headline observations about AI in the year that has been, how and why we remain in the “early adopter” phase, and the critical importance of ongoing education by and for practitioners about the relevance and place of such emerging technologies. Steele also reflects on lawyers’ increasing appreciation for how AI will and continues to upend daily operations, the extent to which lawyers are excited about these developments, what Smokeball is doing right now to support practitioners (including its focus on practice management), the nature of queries the provider receives, how clients are responding to their lawyers’ use of such platforms, what the advent and mainstreaming of AI says about the state of the legal market, and what excites him about the opportunities that lawyers will be able to grasp in the future. To learn more about Smokeball, click here.  

A BigLaw firm recently ran an experiment at the South by Southwest Sydney event, in which it tested whether artificial intelligence was capable of besting a senior associate in a mock trial. The end result offers pertinent lessons – not just for lawyers’ use of emerging tech but also for advocates and clients alike. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Lander & Rogers senior associate and innovation manager Jeanette Merjane and digital economy lawyer Kenneth Leung about their respective work at the BigLaw firm and interest in artificial intelligence (AI), the impetus behind testing AI’s capacity to win a court case, how they undertook the experiment at SXSW Sydney, and the questions the firm hoped to answer in doing so. Merjane and Leung also delve into what happened in the mock trial, how well the AI platform performed, what Merjane’s experience was like going up against an AI platform, whether AI is likely to improve its advocacy, the insights gained from running the mock trial, whether the nature of advocacy is changing, whether clients will want to use AI to get the answers they are seeking, and what the experiment teaches us about the importance of human advocacy. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

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 Review: Class Actions in Australia 2023/2024, and its key takeaways and findings, including that class action filings are at their lowest levels in seven years, how and why this might be the case, the cyclical nature of such litigation, and what the reduced volume of filings says about where the Australian market is at right now. Atkins also delves into the areas we are currently seeing more filings and why, what practitioners in this space need to stay on top of, the influence of regulatory spotlights, two cases that the High Court is currently considering and why those matters could be so significant for the class action space, what the coming year could hold for class actions, and why this remains such a stimulating area of law. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

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 Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Keypoint Law chief executive Warren Kalinko about the decade that has been for Keypoint in Australia, who the firm is and what it does, how receptive practitioners are to the firm’s model, where the firm currently sits in the Australian market, and the biggest hurdles in the way of its continued growth. Kalinko also reflects on Keypoint’s growth targets in the coming years, the specific areas and jurisdictions where the firm sees opportunities for growth, whether practitioners will be more receptive to such a firm model given how much working life has changed in recent years, whether the firm would ever become a listed entity, and what the future could hold for such consulting models in Australia.

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 extent to which new positive duties to stamp out workplace misconduct such as bullying and sexual harassment have been adopted by Australian workplaces, the lack of education that businesses may have about those duties, and how new workplace norms such as scattered workforces and communication via new technologies has seen a proliferation in misconduct via new mediums. Nandagopal also reflects on the fact that a lack of reporting doesn’t mean that misconduct isn’t occurring, the questions that businesses must ask of themselves in ensuring their frameworks are up to scratch, the need for top-down approaches from leadership, the thematic issues with power in the workplace, having good response plans, and why businesses cannot be complacent about their positive duties.

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 the new Right to Disconnect laws, the need for law firms to realign their priorities, adopting a back-to-basics approach and what this looks like, and what meaningful, transparent communication should look like in the new normal. Thum also delves into how individual lawyers can better advocate for themselves in evolving workplaces, making changes to the organisational mindset, building new communication strategies upon a foundation of respect and trust, the challenges that legal workplaces may face in undergoing such a realignment, and why the legal profession needs to see the Right to Disconnect laws as a “moment for potential growth”, and employ empathy in a technologically driven world. To learn more about The College of Law, click here.

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 Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Joseph Catanzariti AM about his career in law spanning over four decades, the statutorily imposed retirements for judges around the country, why it has been so important to him to give back, the sense of purpose he finds as a lawyer, his reflections on being a judge, and the sense of making a difference in society. Catanzariti also discusses how he felt about his imposed retirement from FWC, his realisation that employers were not seeking a full-time 65-year-old professional, the biases dictating hiring decisions and societal impressions, how he has pivoted and responded vocationally, what legal member bodies can do to address the concerns of older practitioners, the wellness issues inherent with undervaluing those practitioners, and how both employers and individuals can navigate such issues. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

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 practicalities of job-sharing, and how they successfully navigate the needs of their organisation with key stakeholders. Prowd and Kolenbet also reflect on the rarity of job-sharing arrangements in the legal profession, how and why legal employers must be more open to such vocational pathways (for men and women alike), how other lawyers – in-house and beyond – can and should be unafraid to ask for such flexible arrangements if circumstances require it, and how both employee and employer will benefit from thinking and operating outside the box. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

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 as a lawyer, what constitutes good leadership in law, whether it has gotten easier or harder to be a managing partner, his advice to those seeking to lead firms, and his takeaways from Bird & Bird’s 10 years in Australia. Barber also reflects on the firm’s successes Down Under and what he sees as being the big market challenges to overcome in 2025 and beyond, the corners of the Australian market that the firm will continue to target, and the fear and excitement that drives law firm leaders.

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 the School of Law and Society at the Queensland-based provider, how and why he got into legal academia, the 10-year anniversary celebrations, what the next decade can and will look like for legal education and students, and the headline issues facing students at present. Sanderson also delves into how receptive students are to increased AI use, necessary evolutions to course content in the wake of market and technological change, predictions for the future of legal education, the role of law faculties in helping student cohorts address the changing landscape, and the critical need to listen to law students and their circumstances.

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 legal profession, what women have to put up with in law, overcoming traumatic incidents, moving forward productively from such experiences, the importance of mentors and how to find them. Bowes also delves into having a good sense of self, bringing one’s full personality to work and why, being a rough diamond rather than a polished gem, lessons from starting one’s firm and how to push through when you want to give up, appreciating that success comes from repeated failure, and what being a dancer has taught her about life as a lawyer. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

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 challenge of having a newborn shortly after founding her firm, why it is so important for law firms to be leading the way in not only offering flexibility but also making it central to the business model, and being a business leader that proactively seeks to offer adaptable workplace structures. Vairawanathan also delves into the cohorts of the legal profession that such an approach can and will benefit, countering workplace trends like the Great Break-up, overcoming financial constraints and traditional mindsets in leaning more heavily into a flexible business model, what she thinks is working well and not so well in providing greater accommodations for staff needs, the flow-on benefits for the business in being more adaptable, and why shifting how lawyers work will ultimately be a win-win for all stakeholders. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

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 why she’s always valued flexible working arrangements for herself, observations of broader take-up of such arrangements by other women lawyers, what the Great Break-up is and why it is significant for women professionals, and the ways in which businesses may be failing their female employees. Lozynski also delves into the sociocultural and vocational structures that make it difficult for women (and men) to break free of traditional expectations and norms, what female professionals are choosing to do if they leave their employers and why, the influence of family planning, the practical steps that employers must take moving forward to better address staff needs, and why employees need to know their worth.

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 success, and why she produces short films. Slater also delves into her filmmaking process and how she manages it against her day job, how and why filmmaking helps her be a better lawyer, the complementary skills and insights from filmmaking to IP law and vice versa, the importance of storytelling in becoming a better practitioner, using the law to tell stories, and the need for creative outlets for practitioners. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

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 also sheds light on why self-hosted AI solutions are fast becoming the future of legal AI, particularly for teams seeking to navigate the complexities of sensitive client data. The discussion also covers Australia’s restrained approach to AI adoption compared to other global markets, key risks and harms currently posed by AI, and how legal teams should prepare their data for AI-enabled systems. They also discuss high-impact areas for AI tools, the importance of trial and error in the adoption process, and how Consilio’s new Guided AI Review can better support legal teams in the litigation discovery process. To learn more about Lawyers on Demand, A Consilio Company, click here. To learn more about the Guided AI Review, click here. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

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 currently has with digital heirlooms and why, the flow-on issues for successful planning and wills and estates, the increased use and ownership of digital assets, and the consequences for lawyers on the ground given the state of affairs. Tiyce also reflects on the extent of cynicism from and a lack of education for Australians when it comes to digital assets, the potential for unjust outcomes in disputes, recommendations to standardise rights and procedures when it comes to digital records and assets, how lawyers can better serve and advocate for clients in the absence of such reform, employing a different way of thinking about property, and what will constitute best practice for lawyers moving forward. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

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 for top candidates, the need to think more creatively about identifying ideal talent, the ever-present mental health challenges in such firms, and the role of HR teams in improving workplace wellness. Sharpe also delves into the myriad legislative changes that HR teams have to grapple with, including the recently introduced Right to Disconnect, the corresponding duties that HR teams must undertake, the emergence of new technologies and how best HR teams must adapt, striking the right balance between streamlining processes and ensuring the human touch doesn’t get lost, and reflects on whether it has ever been more difficult to be in HR in a professional services environment. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

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 implications for the bilateral relationship, the role of grey zone warfare and information warfare efforts in the upcoming election and how they may shape the outcome, as well as the importance of the partnership in helping Australia reindustrialise and build a truly sovereign defence industrial base, with a pathway forward to establishing an integrated Australian prime. Contested Ground is a new podcast investigating the complex and murky world of grey zone warfare as nations compete on the global stage. It lifts the veil on how state and non-state actors compete for influence below the threshold of armed conflict, informing business and public sector leaders on how malicious actors exploit Australia’s financial and social systems for their gain. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

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 undertaking with one of the nation’s biggest law firms and what it entails, and the broader perspective the internship has offered her into the promotion of diversity in the legal profession. Jash also discusses her perception of the experience of Indigenous law students, the sense of isolation that many feel and how best to overcome it, the need to put one’s self out there and be “bubbly”, how best to put one’s self forward for recognition and advancement, why more law firms should champion diversity for Indigenous Australians, and her optimism that the profession can continue to progress on such matters. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

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 developed leadership capabilities in law, and why he thinks the development of leadership skills in the legal workplace is still often overlooked. The truth is that for many lawyers, they are simply expected to figure it out themselves. In this episode, van Brunschot also delves into the flow-on consequences of not effectively investing in the teaching of practical leadership skills, including how law firm leaders can meaningfully make time to invest and develop the next generation of leaders. For those intent on climbing the ladder, including emerging leaders, the skills and mindset required to achieve promotion are also covered. Tune in and unpack the journey from technical proficiency to law firm and business leader. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

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 Switzerland for two decades, how his passion for sports provides motivation for his work as a lawyer, what the day-to-day looks like for sports arbitration lawyers, and the cyclical nature of work in this space. Schoeb also delves into the state of affairs for sports arbitration in Australia, why he sees such massive opportunities for practitioners Down Under to grow this practice area domestically, recent and notable cases in sports arbitration, the influence of social, cultural and even geopolitical considerations in such legal work, being both a counsellor and arbitrator and drawing the distinction where required, his predictions for the sports arbitration market ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games, and his advice to those interested in a career in such work. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

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 urgent need to better ensure justice outcomes for Australian youth. Hollonds delves into her role and why it is needed, the key findings and takeaways from the AHRC report, the flow-on consequences of such poor safety and justice frameworks, what the report says about who Australia is as a nation, the need for a National Children’s Act, and how lawyers can better improve safety and wellbeing outcomes for children across the country moving forward. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

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 space, initially opting against all-pink branding but eventually deciding to lean into what she truly wanted for her business. Tully explains the psychology behind her colour-based branding and why it is so beneficial for clients, why she attached an all-pink café to the firm’s premises, how she has brought the entire business along for the ride in embracing pink as a theme, the importance of thinking outside the box with one’s law firm branding (particularly in a crowded market like personal injury), and her broader guidance to aspiring or existing firm owners about setting one’s self and one’s business apart from the competition. Both personally and professionally, there is much that a firm owner will learn in the first 12 months of operating a legal practice. Here, we unpack some of the headline lessons, surprises, and tricks that one award-nominated practitioner has gleaned. In this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes M de Mestre Lawyers founder Mary-Ann de Mestre to discuss what the past 12 months since the inception of her firm have been like, whether she has been able to hold true to her founding mission, demystifying what the first year is like, the non-negotiable things that new firm owners must know, and how overwhelming it can be to start one’s own practice. De Mestre also delves into what has surprised her in the first year, the extent to which she has had to be more of a businessperson than a lawyer, navigating the idea of rebuilding the plane as it is falling out of the sky, tinkering with the broader strategy, and the most important practical steps to take. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

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 firm’s approach to flexible working. Indari also reflects on the firm’s history and how it got to be where it currently sits in the professional services marketplace, the longstanding traditional values that the firm looks to uphold, where the firm sees itself moving forward, playing to the firm’s strengths, its utilisation of new and emerging technology and taking innovative approaches, the big challenges for firms like Carroll & O’Dea that loom on the horizon, and what excites her about the firm’s next steps. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

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 lecturer Dr Celine Van Golde about what defines a “Mr Big” operation, how and why they are used, their recent research into the use and reliability of such operations, and the practical issues that these operations can present. Adam and Van Golde also delve into some of the moral and ethical considerations from such operations, the fact that the High Court allowed for use of such methods in 2007, whether “Mr Big” operations are increasingly being used and why police might look to undertake such operations, the challenges or consequences that arise from these operations, the idea that the legal system may “prey on the vulnerable”, how criminal lawyers feel about the use of “Mr Big”, what legislative or regulatory improvements might be needed, and ensuring societal faith in our system. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

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 bribery”, the new laws that have come into effect in Australia over the weekend, the responses from key stakeholders to the laws, and what they will likely mean for the market and broader Australian society. Zoller also dives into whether the new laws go far enough or will need further changes, the current regulatory climate and microscope on business activity, the need to be proactive rather than reactive in ensuring good governance, the challenges for businesses in being proactive, best practice for lawyers on the ground within businesses, necessary procedural improvements to make internally, opportunities for businesses to stand out from the competition, and adhering to new governmental guidance. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!

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 as a legal practitioner means to her. Nicholls also delves into the need for lawyers to be pseudo-psychologists, whether clients are driving a need for lawyers to be more empathetic, the difficulty lawyers may have in being empathetic, case studies where she has been empathetic and achieved a successful client outcome, how empathy has made her a better lawyer, why every lawyer can and should try to be more empathetic, and the practical steps they can take to do so. If you like this episode, show your support by  rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected] for more insights!