Firms tighten in-office rules to four days

Ashurst poaches partners after 29 years at rival

KPMG’s new fancy HQ shaped by staff feedback

BigLaw goes back to the office. Cooley, Goodwin Procter and Dechert are upping their in-office mandates to four days a week from early 2026, joining peers tightening hybrid policies. Firms say culture, collaboration and training drive the shift, but recruiters warn it may push talent toward more flexible rivals. Will Aussie top-tier go the same way? Reuters

Fresh off a $150m raise, Legora has unveiled Portal, a collaborative AI workspace that lets firms and clients work together in real time. The tool lets lawyers productise their expertise into AI-powered workflows and playbooks. Already in partnership with Linklaters, Cleary and Goodwin, it’s set for wider rollout in 2026: Point Blank

Fred Prickett has reportedly joined Ashurst’s disputes team in Melbourne after 29 years at Clayton Utz. The heavyweight litigator has acted Myer in its landmark shareholder class action and Blackstone on its $8.9bn Crown Resorts deal. His move bolsters Ashurst’s national disputes bench: Point Blank

Automatise has nabbed the AFR BOSS Innovation Award for its AI litigation tool Cicero, which helps lawyers “find facts faster” by automating document review. Since launching in 2022, it’s signed 15 top firms including Minters, Maddocks and Holding Redlich, hitting $1m revenue in six months: Point Blank

Disputes: The WA Supreme Court has shown just how powerful a mandatory injunction can be. The Court ordered a farm operator to honour its contract with poultry producer Bartter Enterprises and accept delivery of 174,600 chicks. In Bartter Enterprises Pty Ltd v Darmad Pty Ltd, Darmad refused to take the chicks, having sold its farm days before they were due to hatch. The Court found Bartter had a strong prima facie case of breach and that the balance of convenience favoured enforcement—no alternative farms could meet animal welfare standards, and Bartter faced reputational and supply chain damage that money couldn’t fix. The injunction was granted with modified delivery terms. The case underscores that mandatory injunctions remain exceptional but potent: Clayton Utz

Employment: Payday Super kicks in on 1 July 2026, marking a major shift to real-time super payments. Under the new laws, employers will need to pay super within 7 business days of each wage payment, instead of quarterly. Super will now be calculated on ‘qualifying earnings’, which largely mirrors the current ordinary time earnings definition, excluding overtime. The reforms overhaul the Superannuation Guarantee Charge, replacing quarterly penalties with a more flexible system tied to late payments. Key changes include a variable interest rate, a 60% uplift penalty and the removal of the 200% additional SGC penalty. Employers will also be able to claim deductions for late payments and SGC amounts, though the 25% late penalty remains non-deductible: Allens

Corporate: The ACCC has launched its new acquisitions portal, paving the way for the mandatory merger regime kicking in 1 January 2026. The portal streamlines merger notifications, early engagement and payment of waiver fees. Meanwhile, ASIC has unveiled its Reportable Situations Dashboard, publishing data on self-reported breaches by AFS and credit licensees, including customer impact and remediation. Both tools mark a clear shift toward digital compliance and transparency.

The Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people have lodged a native title claim over Melbourne and its surrounds. It covers thousands of square kilometres, including parts of the Yarra. It comes just a week after Victoria passed Australia’s first treaty law with Aboriginal people. Elder Di Kerr says it’s about recognising their connection to Country “in law, as it has always existed in truth.” If successful, it’d be Victoria’s eighth native title and the third to cover a capital city: The Guardian

KPMG has opened its new Manhattan HQ, designed with direct input from employees — right down to their love of round tables. The space blends AI labs, client lounges, and a cocktail bar, aiming to tempt staff back to the office. CEO Tim Walsh calls it “a new era for KPMG,” as the firm leans into hybrid work and 90% of staff now use AI daily: Business Insider

Gilbert + Tobin: says cautious M&A optimism is creeping back. Deal volumes are still below pre-2022 levels, but corporates are reshaping portfolios, private capital is adapting, and buyers are getting creative with scrip and structures. Regulatory friction and valuation gaps remain, yet the 2026 pipeline looks stronger: G+T

MinterEllison: has advised Johns Lyng Group on its takeover by Pacific Equity Partners in a $1.3bn scheme. PEP paid $4.00 per share—a 70% premium — with management and employees able to swap cash for PEP scrip: Point Blank

Gold boom shows no sign of fading. Gold’s up 50% this year despite an 11% slide from record highs, with silver surging 64%. Macquarie says Aussie gold miners could see valuations jump 90% if spot prices hold near $US4000/oz, while Auscap’s Tim Carleton tips gold to become Australia’s No.2 export after iron ore: The Australian

Newmont has wrapped up ‘Project Catalyst’, a sweeping restructure following its $17bn takeover of Newcrest, cutting around 16% of staff through job losses and unfilled roles. The world’s biggest gold miner says the overhaul will reduce costs and lift productivity, as it prepares for a CEO handover to Natascha Viljoen next year: Mining.com

ANZ’s full-year cash profit fell 14% to $5.8bn, dragged down by redundancy costs and legal fines, as CEO Nuno Matos warned “action is needed.” Even after stripping out one-offs, profit was flat at $6.9bn. Margins slipped to 1.55% amid fierce mortgage competition, while former CEO Shayne Elliott’s $13.5m bonuses were axed over governance failures: AFR

Macquarie’s Shemara Wikramanayake says there are “more tailwinds than headwinds” for equities, despite a rocky week that saw Macquarie shares drop 6% after a weaker-than-expected $1.65bn half-year profit. The shortfall came down to timing on performance fees, with stronger earnings tipped for year-end: The Australian

Lendlease is in talks to sell a 75% stake in its Victoria Cross Tower to Aware Super, in what could be a benchmark office deal for the market’s recovery. The $1.2bn North Sydney project is now 70% leased or in negotiations, signalling renewed confidence as super funds pile back into prime CBD assets: The Australian

Singapore’s Jaleel family has bought Brisbane’s George Williams Hotel for $34m, adding to its $150m Aussie hotel portfolio. With the 2032 Olympics fuelling demand, the group plans a full refurbishment while targeting mid-scale travellers. The deal sold in just eight days, underscoring soaring investor appetite and tight hotel supply in Brisbane: AFR

The nation’s tech workforce shrank by more than 30,000 roles in FY2025, marking its first decline since 2020 and leaving the government’s goal of 1.2 million tech jobs by 2030 “not met,” according to the Department of Industry’s annual report. Job losses now threaten the Future Made in Australia agenda’s core pillar of an expanding high-skilled workforce: The Australian

Union cuts women-led partners from $4.9m tech program. Girl Geek Academy and Gender Lens Australia have been dumped from the FemTech project after a clash with Professionals Australia over unpaid invoices under $200k. The groups say the union is using their IP without credit, while the government reviews the dispute: Capital Brief