Offender allowed to work at law firm

Patterson faces life with no parole

Law grads top hourly pay rate

The Productivity Commission has proposed a text & data mining (TDM) exception to copyright infringement, which would allow copyrighted material to be used to train AI models and analyse datasets, so long as the use is considered “fair”. The interim report says AI could lift GDP by $116bn, but Australia’s copyright laws lag global peers. The TDM exception, already in place in the EU, UK, US and Singapore (to varying degrees), would let researchers and businesses mine works to identify patterns and trends without first seeking licences. Supporters like Atlassian’s Scott Farquhar say this would let smaller, local models be built here, but APRA, AMCOS and NATSIMO warn it risks “digital piracy” and cultural appropriation: HSF Kramer

A new KPMG report shows 68% of directors see today’s regulatory environment as stressful and increasingly complex. Rising challenges include AI, cyber threats, data privacy, ESG and shifting stakeholder expectations. In response, KPMG’s updated Directors’ Toolkit provides practical guidance, case studies and frameworks to help boards navigate governance failures, adapt to technological change, and meet evolving compliance demands. With directors facing scrutiny from all sides, the toolkit doubles as a handbook for ethical leadership, stakeholder engagement and risk management. A useful tool for directors and legal advisers alike: KPMG

An interesting UK decision has clarified how losses are valued in cryptocurrency claims. In BSV Claims v Bittylicious, investors argued exchanges’ anti-competitive delisting of BSV caused both an immediate drop in value and “forgone growth” from lost future upside. The English Court of Appeal struck out the growth claim, applying the market mitigation rule: once investors knew of the delisting, they should have sold into a market of substitutable cryptocurrencies. Crypto was treated as tradeable like shares, not unique assets, and speculative gains were irrecoverable. The Court also warned that pleadings must use legal concepts, not expert-coined terms like “forgone growth effect”: DLA

Median graduate base pay sits at $87,213, according to the Aussie Corporate. Goes without saying, but the IB’s are in the lead, on ~$170k, while law and tech grads are close to $100k. Law firms (somehow) top the charts for most effective hourly rate, while Big 4 consulting lags at $72–74k: Aussie Corporate

UK firm Freshfields’ innovation lead Gil Perez isn’t pulling punches, saying AI is now existential. The firm is going all-in on a pragmatic, build-and-buy strategy, mixing internal tools with partnerships (including Google and Microsoft). Their approach is simple. No single vendor, no hype chasing. Just integrate what works. With AI now a core part of client service, customisation, multilingual capability, and tool flexibility are key. “Tech is no longer a constant,” says Perez. “It’s a multiplier.” Artificial Lawyer

Are IPOs back? After three slow years, London law firms are quietly betting on a listings revival. Linklaters’ ECM team skipped the usual summer lull, while Slaughter and May says capital markets work surged 50% in spring. Firms are hiring again—but with a catch. Recruits must be ready to pivot back to private M&A if the IPO market stalls: Financial Times

iManage has unveiled new AI capabilities built directly into its cloud platform, pushing for what it calls “AI Confidence” in legal workflows. With natural language search, inline citations, and Microsoft 365 integration, firms can now surface insights, track sources, and stay within familiar tools. The standout? Ask iManage, which turns legal content into traceable, contextual answers. A well-needed upgrade if you ask us: Legal Futures

Crown prosecutor Jane Warren says Erin Patterson’s mushroom murders sit in the “worst category” of offending and warrant life with no parole. Patterson’s lawyer conceded a life term is inevitable but argued she should have a chance of release in her 80s. Justice Beale will sentence her on 8 September: ABC News

The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal has allowed a law graduate convicted of sexual offences against 10 children to work as a lay associate at a law firm, despite acknowledging the crimes were “abhorrent and disgraceful”. A decade on, the tribunal cited rehabilitation and academic success but imposed strict conditions, including bans on child-related matters and mandatory disclosure of his status as a registrable offender: Lawyers Weekly

AI is officially reshaping the office floorplan. Hassell’s survey shows fewer workers need desks as AI takes over admin and research. Desk space will shrink from 60% to 40%, while meeting rooms jump from 25% to 40% and flexible space edges up. Offices will shift from rows of desks to hubs for collab, boardrooms and presos: AFR

Betr: is eyeing Entain’s Aussie arm, with Matt Tripp meeting London execs this month to float carving out Ladbrokes and Neds, which hold 17% market share. Talks were informal, as Betr juggles its simultaneous PointsBet tilt and Entain wrestles with a looming $100m AUSTRAC fine. Any divestment would spark wider interest, though Tabcorp and Sportsbet face ACCC hurdles: AFR

Vocus: may revisit plans to sell its consumer arm, after Aussie Broadband poached More and Tangerine in a six-year wholesale deal covering 250k connections. Aussie Broadband’s stock jumped 20%, lifting its market cap to $1.27bn, while Vocus, owned by Macquarie and Aware, faces a big revenue hole: The Australian

National Storage: is holding a 10% blocking stake in Abacus Storage King, leaving Public Storage’s $1.65 bid hanging. Founder Andrew Catsoulis says the stake “pays for itself” and could be held long term, but dealmakers wonder if he’ll cash out or force concessions: The Australian

PLS has slumped to a $196m loss after spodumene prices collapsed 90% from 2022 peaks, slicing revenue by 40%. CEO Dale Henderson says the miner’s $1bn cash pile puts it in good standing to ride out the storm. Still, with 15% of shares shorted, PLS remains one of the ASX’s most bet-against stocks: AFR

Fortescue’s profit dived 41% to $US3.37bn as weaker iron ore prices and $158m writedowns on stalled hydrogen projects cut dividends to $1.10 a share, the lowest since 2018. Still, the Forrests’ 37% stake delivers $1.24b. Analysts warn of more impairments ahead, but say Fortescue’s iron ore strength could offset its costly clean-energy detour: AFR

HSBC’s Swiss private bank will cut ties with 1,000+ wealthy Middle Eastern clients, including some holding over US$100m. The move follows Swiss regulator Finma’s AML crackdown, which already banned HSBC from onboarding politically exposed persons: Capital Brief

Bendigo Bank’s digital arm Up has smashed past 1 million customers, adding 265k in FY25, and now 40% of the group’s base. Mortgages tripled to $1.7b and deposits climbed 34% to $2.8b. CEO Richard Fennell says Up should turn profitable in FY26, with expansion into investment lending on the table: AFR

Sydney CBD vacancy ticked up to 13.7% on new supply, but 70% of space was pre-committed, with 33 Alfred St 93% leased. Law firms, including Allens, Maddocks and Lander & Rogers, drove absorption. 90% of H1 deals were for fitted space, as tenants chase speed-to-occupancy: COMO

Mapletree Investments has made its Aussie student housing debut, taking over an 835-bed, $300m Perth CBD project near Edith Cowan and Curtin Law School. Already a heavyweight in the UK/US, Mapletree says Australia is the third most mature global market and plans to scale fast. With just one PBSA bed for every 15 students here, the scarcity play is clear: AFR

Nuix has shelled out more than $40m in legal costs since its controversial 2020 float, including $10.6m this year tied to a looming shareholder class action. The Macquarie-backed software firm also missed earnings, posting a $9.2m loss on flat $221.5m revenue. Shares slumped 10% in response: AFR

Elon Musk’s xAI has sued Apple and OpenAI in a Texas court, accusing them of conspiring to block rivals from the AI market. The suit says Apple’s exclusive OpenAI tie-up kept X and Grok apps from ranking higher in the App Store. Musk claims Apple and OpenAI are running a duopoly in AI access: Reuters