Aussie lawyers earn 180% more post-tax

GCs now out-earning BigLaw partners

OpenAI blocks legal advice queries

We’ve crunched the numbers and found that Aussie lawyers are sleeping on Dubai. Dubai beats New York and London as the most lucrative destination for Aussie lawyers once tax and living costs are factored in. With 0% income tax, lawyers in Dubai take home 180% more than in Sydney, while costs are slightly lower. Check out our full breakdown here: Point Blank

Barry Nilsson has poached six insurance partners and their teams from DLA Piper. The hires span Perth, Sydney and Brisbane, bolstering BN’s bench across D&O, PI, regulatory and warranty disputes. DLA says the exits were “mutual” as it refocuses on complex regulatory and corporate work: Point Blank

It’s the $30m lawyer club. Corporate legal chiefs are cashing in as “hybrid executives” take over the C-suite. Alphabet’s Kent Walker tops the list with $30.2m, followed by Broadcom’s Mark Brazeal and Apple’s Katherine Adams. Recruiters say GCs are now expected to juggle law, strategy and reputation, with top in-house roles paying far more than BigLaw partners: BloombergLaw

A former Slaughter and May associate has been struck off after lying in his pupillage application about getting a double-starred first from Cambridge. The SRA found his deception “premeditated” and “sustained,” rejecting claims it stemmed from stress. He’d actually earned a 2:1 and was fined £6.1k after resigning from Slaughters: Legal Cheek

IP: In a landmark IP ruling, the Full Federal Court has imposed a constructive trust over copyright in footage obtained through trespass, expanding equitable remedies beyond their traditional bounds. In The Game Meats Company v Farm Transparency International, animal activists secretly filmed inside a Victorian abattoir, then published the footage. While the primary judge awarded damages but left copyright with the activists, the Full Court ordered Farm Transparency to assign copyright to Game Meats, delete all copies, and cease publication. It held that Farm Transparency was a constructive trustee of the footage. The Court imposed the trust despite no pre-existing relationship between the parties, departing from the traditional rule that constructive trusts over IP arise only in theft, fraud, or fiduciary settings. It’s the first Australian case to extend this remedy to copyright created through an invasion of rights: KWM Pulse

Corporate: The Federal Government has scrapped plans to make unlisted entities maintain their own beneficial ownership registers. Instead, they’re opting for a single Commonwealth-operated register aligned with ASIC. The new system will capture the ultimate controllers of around 3 million unlisted entities. That includes proprietary and unlisted public companies, managed investment schemes and CCIVs, all with the aim of enhancing transparency, curbing financial crime, and aligning with global standards. The change follows stakeholder feedback, warning that a decentralised model would burden small businesses and trusts. Development will continue through 2026–27, with legislation expected late 2027: HSF Kramer

Competition: Connected Audio Visual, an Australian distributor of dash cam and car audio products, has admitted to resale price maintenance after warning retailers not to sell below set prices. Between April and September 2025, the company told 258 retailers it would pause or close accounts unless they agreed to advertise products at the recommended retail price. That led 209 retailers to sign restrictive agreements. The ACCC accepted a three-year enforceable undertaking, requiring Connected Audio Visual to remove the clauses, notify retailers, and implement a compliance program. ACCC Deputy Chair Mick Keogh warned that suppliers who punish retailers for discounting will face decisive enforcement action: ACCC

OpenAI has banned ChatGPT from giving legal advice, a move seen as a pre-emptive strike to limit liability and redirect users to licensed professionals. The policy bans “tailored advice that requires a licence,” steering legal queries toward AI law platforms like Harvey, Legora and CoCounsel: Point Blank

Parents who lose a baby will now have employer-funded parental leave protected by law, after Parliament passed ‘Baby Priya’s Bill’. The reform makes it illegal for employers to cancel paid leave after a stillbirth or infant death, aligning private policies with the national scheme. Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth said the change will ensure parents have “dignity and certainty” during an “unbelievably difficult time”: TDA

Bain Capital: has re-entered the race for Perpetual’s $22bn-AUA wealth management arm, securing exclusivity after walking away from the sale four months ago. The unit, which last reported $51.5m in profit before tax, had earlier been courted by AZ Next Generation Advisory, but that exclusivity has now lapsed. Bain is back circling as Perpetual revives plans to split its wealth arm following the collapse of its earlier $1.4bn KKR deal: AFR

Microsoft: has inked a $US9.7bn (A$14.8bn) deal with Sydney-based Iren, making the Aussie AI infrastructure group its largest global customer. The five-year pact gives Microsoft access to Nvidia-powered AI cloud capacity in Texas and includes a 20% prepayment. The deal is tipped to generate $US1.94bn in annual revenue: AFR

The Queensland government has branded Fortescue’s failed Gladstone hydrogen plant a “fantasy project” and is pushing to recover its $65.97m grant after the miner scrapped the project in July. Fortescue, which also owes $45m federally, insists it will “repay every dollar required”, but no money has been returned: The Australian

The critical minerals boom is finally turning mining tech into a true venture market, says Main Sequence. With demand for lithium and copper surging, startups like Plotlogic and ElectraLith are proving that mining innovation can deliver venture-scale returns: Capital Brief

AustralianSuper has lifted its holding back above 5% in Mineral Resources, citing improved governance, tighter capital allocation and greater transparency since Malcolm Bundey became chair in May. The fund joins other investors reassessing MinRes after Chris Ellison’s tax scandal and an ASIC probe into related-party dealings: AFR

A sweeping ASIC review of 28 lenders has found widespread poor disclosure, weak risk controls and conflicts of interest across Australia’s booming $200bn private credit market. Only one fund passed on full returns to investors, while half lacked formal credit risk frameworks. Chair Joe Longo warned major players to fix practices or face targeted enforcement action: The Australian

Perth-based Ascot Capital has bought the Salvation Army’s Blackburn headquarters for $54.35m, marking Melbourne’s largest suburban office deal in 2.5 years. The 8000sqm property, leased for nearly a decade, sold on a 6.5% yield after drawing 8 bidders. It could be the sign of Melbourne’s office recovery: AFR

Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing has teamed up with Frasers Property Industrial on a $500m east coast portfolio, adding nine sites across Queensland, NSW and Victoria. The move expands their joint ventures to $1.4b when built out, with tenants including Goodyear, Asahi and DHL: AFR

The eSafety Commission has ruled that Reddit and Kick fall under Australia’s world-first social media age ban, joining TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, X, Facebook and Threads from December 10. Platforms must block under-16 users or face fines up to $49.5m: ABC

Scott Farquhar’s Skip Capital has appointed Olivia Sioud as investment partner and head of ventures, making her one of Australia’s youngest VC leaders. Sioud joined Skip in 2021 after stints at BCG, Westpac and Allens, and has helped guide investments in Canva, Airwallex and Neara. Jackson says her rise shows “capability, not convention, drives success.” The Australian