Thinking of an international move? RollOnFriday's 2026 survey ranked firm culture from best to worst. Akin Gump topped the list at 92% for having "virtually no c*nts." HSF Kramer scored 75%, with juniors crediting the Aussies for a more relaxed vibe. At the bottom, Freshfields (46%) talks a big game on culture, but staff say the reality doesn't match. Clifford Chance (46%) is battling redundancy unease, and apparently A&O Shearman (46%) still can't figure out who they are post-merger: RollOnFriday

⚖️ Disputes: The NSW Court of Appeal has dismissed a solicitor negligence claim, while affirming a stringent standard for what "hopeless" actually means. The VXG parties argued Malouf should have advised their defences and cross-claims were doomed before filing. The Court disagreed, holding that weak prospects and evidentiary gaps do not equate to hopelessness, there must be no realistic possibility of success. Critically, the breach analysis is confined to what was known at filing, not hindsight. That involves an evaluative assessment where solicitors can legitimately rely on counsel's advice that a case is arguable: Hall & Wilcox

⚖️ Construction: In Construction, disruption isn’t always disruption. A NSW Court of Appeal decision serves as a useful reminder that disruption without delay is often not compensable. Under the contract in question, disruption costs only had contractual footing if they extended the completion date. But importantly, where disruption stems from a breach of a contractual promise (say, failure to provide access as expressly stated), the real question isn't whether productivity suffered. It's whether the breach forced the contractor to perform fundamentally different work. If it did, that's not a disruption claim. It's a variation claim, and it should be valued accordingly: Accura

⚖️ Employment: NSW Parliament has narrowly passed the Work Health and Safety Amendment (Digital Work Systems) Bill 2025, making it the first Australian jurisdiction to explicitly bring AI tools, algorithmic scheduling, and digital surveillance within the WHS framework. Persons conducting a business or undertaking must now ensure digital systems don't put worker health at risk, covering excessive workloads, opaque performance metrics, and discriminatory automated decisions. Union officials with WHS entry permits also gain expanded access to digital platforms during investigations. Employer groups have flagged compliance burdens and data privacy concerns. The Bill awaits assent: NRF

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It’s good and bad news — CVs are on life support. With AI churning out polished, identical résumés by the million, hiring managers are binning them altogether. A survey of employers found 70% are now using skills-based hiring, opting for paid work trials and certificates, like LinkedIn skills verification. Major tech players like Expensify, Automattic and Gumroad have already ditched the requirement entirely: Business Insider

Victoria's jumping on the bandwagon, with AG Sonya Kilkenny flagging legislation to axe good character references in criminal sentencing entirely. NSW already passed the same reform, with the ACT and Queensland moving in a similar direction. The push follows findings that letting mates and family sing an offender's praises in court is "deeply re-traumatising" for victims. A bill's expected mid-year: TDA

🔋 Ashurst and KWM are on either side of Aula Energy's acquisition of a 1GW solar portfolio from Lightsource bp across NSW, Queensland and Victoria. The Macquarie-backed renewables platform picks up five operational solar farms plus options for 800MW of co-located battery storage. For Aula, it's the first operating fleet in its portfolio: Point Blank

🧃 TPG Capital has kicked off a sale process for its Made Group portfolio, home to brands like Rokeby, Cocobella and NutrientWater, with hopes of fetching north of $1.5bn and a stretch target of $2bn. TPG initially bought its stake for about $300m. BofA is running the book, with Danone, Kirin, Asahi and Suntory among the suitors: The Australian