Boutique intellectual property firm Pearce IP has more than doubled in size in the last year, most recently adding a patent lawyer with over 20 years of global experience to its ranks. Pearce IP –
In this special episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, produced in partnership with The College of Law, host Jerome Doraisamy is joined by Ann-Maree David to discuss the changing nature of mentoring sin
How one BigLaw firm is accelerating its legal tech capabilities
By Jerome Doraisamy|26 May 2021
The Australian legal profession will continue to see innovative developments coming out of BigLaw in the form of acquisition of technologies, new apps, products and services – a trend that may accelerate post-pandemic.
That is the view of King & Wood Mallesons executive director of innovation Michelle Mahoney, who – in conversation with Lawyers Weekly – said that law firms at the big end of town were already making such moves pre-pandemic, but that the age of coronavirus will speed up the trend.
For firms like KWM, she said, this will mean a renewed focus on delivering outcomes to meet unique client needs by way of different-looking solutions that depend on idiosyncrasies, including the utilisation of tech platforms that firms co-design with clients and then develop in-house.
AGL urged to drop Greenpeace lawsuit
By Lauren Croft|26 May 2021
Over a dozen of Australia’s leading NGOs and environmental advocacy groups have written an open letter to AGL urging them to drop their lawsuit against Greenpeace.
AGL is currently suing Greenpeace for using their logo in a campaign targeting Australia’s “biggest climate producer”. Phrases including “generating pollution for generations” and “Still Australia’s biggest climate polluter” were used in the campaign, which AGL wants its logos removed from. Federal Court proceedings have already begun, with a hearing next week.
The lawsuit follows accusations of AGL “greenwashing” its image and analysis by Greenpeace named the company as Australia’s largest greenhouse emitter. The report also pointed out that despite pledging to be carbon-neutral by 2050, AGL has not taken any meaningful steps towards climate change.
NSW sexual consent laws to be reformed
By Lauren Croft|26 May 2021
In a massive step forward for NSW, Attorney-General Mark Speakman has just announced the reform of sexual consent laws.
The announcement comes after the NSW Law Reform Commission (LRC) published a report last November analysing the NSW consent laws. The current laws will be strengthened and simplified in response to increasing calls across the community to protect victims and survivors of sexual assault.
The new stipulations mean that affirmative consent is now law: unless someone does or says something to communicate consent, they have not consented to sexual activity. Similarly, the accused person’s belief in consent will not be recognised by law unless they did or said something to establish consent. This also protects victims further by recognising the “freeze” response, whereby someone freezes and cannot communicate a lack of consent.