This Month
AI’s unprecedented rise pushes law firms towards private equity
The move to secure capital beyond the traditional pool of partners is reshaping the industry’s century-old business model and raising uncomfortable questions.
February
HWLE chief executive partner leaves Australia’s largest law firm
Russell Mailler sudden resignation comes after nearly two years as chief executive and 14 years at the firm.
Piper Alderman to go head-to-head with top firms, says new chief partner
A new management trio has vowed to accelerate the national law firm’s already relentless growth, while fixing its poor performance on gender parity.
December 2025
Clayton Utz leads charge as female partner promotions surge
Despite the new benchmark, only five of more than 50 firms that responded to the Financial Review’s survey had more women than men in their partnerships.
Explore the Law Partnership Survey results for the second half of 2025
Law firms’ demand was boosted by increased regulation, class actions and workplace disputes, offsetting a deals market that has only just started to pick up.
Law firms focus on compliance goldmine as deal drought drags on
The number of partners at major law firms increased by 3.4 per cent in the past six months, with women making up half of new appointments.
November 2025
Use of AI ‘tech stacks’ driving demand for lawyers
The more artificial intelligence is used within a law firm, the more professionals are needed to vet the technology’s outputs.
July 2025
The hidden ways top law firms pick graduates (and what they now pay)
From small talk to receptionist feedback, firms have developed subtle ways to judge candidates before they enter the formal interview.
‘Generational challenge’: Energy transition powers legal sector
Ashurst partner Aylin Cunsolo says Australia is at a critical point where ageing fossil fuel generators are being retired and need to be replaced.
Why more artificial intelligence also means more lawyers
Artificial intelligence tools can accelerate the careers of savvy lawyers who know how to make careful use of the technology.
The simple secrets to this law firm’s gender parity
The 120-partner Moray & Agnew has more than doubled the number of women in its partnership.
Firms brace for AI to come for the prized six-minute billable unit
Despite a desire for fixed-fee arrangements and a shift in attitude among law firm leaders, the traditional method remains the charging tool of choice.
Explore the Law Partnership Survey results for the first half of 2025
Firms are performing strongly, thanks to demand for advice around corporate disputes, energy transition and infrastructure deals.
Revealed: The law firms that have grown (and shrunk) the most
Strong demand for corporate dispute, energy transition and infrastructure legal advice has created a two-speed legal market.
June 2025
Law firms take more graduates even as AI does the grunt work
Using generative AI for junior-level work is now standard across the country’s largest law firms, but the overriding need for accuracy in legal work means graduates remain in high demand.
January 2025
Burnt-out lawyers seek exit amid long hours, high targets
Australian billing targets are moderate compared with big US legal firms, but profit pressures mean partners are pushing juniors to work longer.
December 2024
Top-tier firms are cutting lawyer numbers for the first time in years
The country’s most prominent legal practices have reduced the number of lawyers they employ in the past six months. But their mid-tier rivals are hiring.
Explore: Law Partnership Survey results for second-half of 2024
The latest results show law firms continue to perform strongly, boosted by big-ticket deals, litigation assignments, and the steady flow of fees from insolvencies and disputes.
It was a boom year for law firms. But signs of a slowdown have emerged
Law firms held their gains in the second half of 2024, but some leaders are wary of rising pressures on price and profit margins.
Wave of partner exits unsettles Clyde & Co amid turnaround struggles
The London-headquartered law firm’s entire local cybersecurity practice is leaving, taking to one-third the number of senior departures over the last 12 months.
