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In House

In-house counsel warned over award rates

16 March 2010 | Middletons' workplace relations and safety partner, Kathy Dalton, wipes away all misconceptions about modern award rates and shows what in-house counsel really do need to be aware of under the new rules.


Pro pro bono

25 February 2010 | Lawyers giving something for nothing? Peter Turner, chief executive of the Australian Corporate Lawyers Association, looks at how and why in-house lawyers are taking on the pro bono cause.


In-house experience a bonus in private practice

05:00 AM | Slipping between in-house and law firm practice roles would appear to be increasingly easy if Antra Hood's experience is anything to go by.


Levi's tightens belt on legal spend

18 February 2010 | Skinny jeans are one thing, but a skinny legal team? That's exactly what Levi Strauss is hoping for.


Committed to contract in-house

18 February 2010 | Lawyers who can turn up, work for short bursts and save the day are being called upon as in-house legal budgets remain tight. Are contract lawyers the in-house super heroes of our times? Kate Gibbs reports


Arbitration: To play or not to play?

18 February 2010 | Following The New Lawyer's report about the loss of faith in arbitration in the United States, and Australian general counsel gives his views. David Fairlie, general counsel, writes a letter to the Editor.


Made to measure in house

11 February 2010 | In these uncertain times, in-house's ability to measure success, failure and challenge is paramount, writes Peter Turner, chief executive officer of the Australian Corporate Lawyers Association.


In-house dissatisfied with ADR results

4 February 2010 | As more companies turn to international arbitration, in-house lawyers are beginning to complaint that the process can be just as costly and time-consuming as litigation.


Macarthur's counsel hires external lawyers for string of deals

4 February 2010 | Macarthur Coal's in-house legal department has been busy. It's now hired external counsel to assist it with a string of deals. 1 comment


Vodafone takes Reuters legal chief

25 January 2010 | Telecoms giant Vodafone has hired Reuters former legal chief, Rosemary Martin, as its group general counsel and company secretary.


Another bite taken out of Apple's in-house team

25 January 2010 | Apple's top corporate lawyer, Charles Charnas, has left the company in yet another legal loss for the company.


South Butt sued by North Face

21 January 2010 | In an amusing trademark claim, outdoor clothing line The North Face has sued 19 year old University of Missouri freshman James Winkelmann for trademark infringement and dilution.


Big four lead the recovery

21 January 2010 | There has been a shift in mood for Australia's financial institutions post the global financial crisis, a new survey by Norton Rose, which merged with Australian firm Deacons, has found.


When opportunity knocks

21 January 2010 | With many in-house lawyers working 50-plus hour weeks, Peter Turner, CEO of the Australian Corporate Lawyers Association, asks what can be done in 2010 to turn things around.


Lawyers appointed to NAB, AXA deal

14 January 2010 | Allens Arthur Robinson is acting for National Australia Bank Limited on the proposed acquisition of AXA Asia Pacific Holdings (AXA APH).


Intel general counsel tests bandwidth in new role

17 December 2009 | Intel Corporation's brand new general counsel Douglas Melamed has entered a company under fire from claims of illegal tactics.


M&A work to increase as corporates recover

10 December 2009 | Australian law firms are hoping for a resurgence in mergers and acquisitions next year as Australian companies emerging from the financial crisis step up acquisitions.


Corporate lawyers have futures told

3 December 2009 | Some of the country's finest corporate lawyers will be having their tarot cards read, will be handing over their palms for life predictions and will turn to psychics as they come together for end of year drinks this month.


Binning the spin

11:00 AM | Katrina Sharman, in-house lawyer at Voiceless, the animal protection institute, says the animal farming institute is spinning the law in their favour. 4 comments


In-house counsel force costs down

22 October 2009 | Clients are resorting to "draconian" measures in order to bring down costs, they now admit.


Australian lawyers stole clients and fees

15 October 2009 | Three Australian expatriate lawyers working at a law firm in Kazakhstan conspired to steal clients and millions of dollars in fees from another ex-pat led firm.


Corporates cut law firm spend

12 October 2009 | A new study has projected a 4.3 per cent slide in corporate spending on outside counsel next year, on top of this year's 10.8 per cent drop.


Good government in practice

3 September 2009 | DLA Phillips Fox partner Anthony Willis speaks to Kate Gibbs about his work as a Government law firm partner in a changing economy and political world.


Former Minters partner takes top in-house role

25 August 2009 | A former Minter Ellison partner has been appointed to the role of Mirvac general counsel and company secretary.


Private practice lawyers steal in-house jobs

24 July 2009 | Private practice lawyers' ability to read law-firm language, know where the "fat" is, and manage law firm lawyers is making them an invaluable resource for in-house teams.


Legal rankings under scrutiny

23 July 2009 | How legal eagles rank against their peers is the cause of much furor in the legal world. But also, the reports that rank, measure and rate them are also under considerable scrutiny.


Mid-tier confidence a strategic dead end

23 July 2009 | The perception that mega law firms are under threat from their mid-tier counterparts may prove to be wrong. Ted Dwyer, from law firm consultancy Dwyer Heath, writes. 2 comments


General counsel cut size of legal panels

22 July 2009 | In-house legal teams are cutting law firm panel numbers to save themselves time and make sure their external counsel are paying attention.


Rio cuts legal jobs, saves millions

06:00 AM | Rio Tinto has hired a team of lawyers in India in an effort to reduce its annual £60 million ($124 million) legal bill.


Don't like chicken? There must be something wrong

17 June 2009 | Corporate counsel and animal rights activist Katrina Sharman reacts to a recent advertising campaign. 21 comments


Finance industry hunts for law firm partnerships

16 June 2009 | As the economy comes to a halt, many in the finance industry believe now is the time to forge partnerships with the legal profession. 2 comments


Brand or slip down a tier, experts warn

7 April 2009 | Following Freehills' interpretation of the importance of brand in yesterday's e-magazine, we hear from law firm consultants who claim firms risk dropping from the top tier if they don't take brand seriously.


Which lawyer?

31 March 2009 | On one hand you've got glitzy law firm promotional brochures, booze-fuelled recruitment events and mentoring schemes offering virtual full-frontal partnership access...


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