AI misstep triggers Board referral for KC

BHP settles $110m class action, with half in fees

Skadden, Wachtell and Debevoise on Netflix deal

A South Australian solicitor and two Victorian barristers (including a KC), have been referred to regulators after filing an appeal document riddled with AI-generated hallucinations. The court said the submission contained non-existent and misleading case citations. The solicitor blamed a paralegal for using AI without proper supervision, later sacking them. All three accepted responsibility as the matter heads to state regulators: ABC News

NSW chief prosecutor Sally Dowling SC has admitted two ODPP media staff leaked confidential details about an Indigenous child to 2GB but insists she never authorised it. The leak fuelled a harsh broadcast about Judge Penelope Wass, who alleges Dowling orchestrated the disclosure. Staff were cautioned, no charges were laid, and the feud between the judge and ODPP continues to escalate: The Australian

A former Slaughter and May solicitor twice cautioned for cocaine has had his practising restrictions lifted by the UK’s disciplinary tribunal. The solicitor was suspended in 2020 after failing to disclose his second caution, but the tribunal said his rehab, clean tests and strong employer backing showed the conditions were no longer needed: Legal Cheek

BGH-backed Rob Silverwood has made his first big hire, snapping up EY financial due diligence partner Steve Clark. Two of Clark’s team have also quit, joining Silverwood’s new consulting venture ahead of its FY27 launch: AFR

Environment: The Gov has just pushed through the biggest shake-up of national environmental laws in 25 years, passing a seven-bill package that rewires the EPBC Act after years of review limbo. The reforms create a new federal environment agency from July 2026, bring in national standards, a tougher “net gain” test, and new compliance powers. In addition, fossil fuel projects are locked out of fast-track pathways, unacceptable-impact tests were tightened, and forestry exemptions will sunset in 2027. The real complexity lands in 2026 when the standards, regulations and rulings drop: KWM

Corporate: Parliament has passed a new Bill that provides a major uplift to beneficial ownership disclosure for listed entities. The reforms strengthen the substantial holding and tracing-notice regimes by requiring disclosure of equity-derivative positions regardless of settlement method or whether the counterparty holds a relevant interest, closing long-criticised visibility gaps in economic exposure. ASIC’s enforcement toolkit is also expanded, giving the regulator broader powers to investigate and act on non-disclosure. Separately, the Bill also clarifies that the Corps Act’s limited-immunity settings now extend to all sustainability reports, ensuring consistent treatment under the new climate-reporting framework.

Copyright: Hall & Wilcox has published a comprehensive guide on the legal framework governing copyright law in Australia. It explains the Copyright Act framework and what works qualify, the rights copyright gives and how long they last, who owns what (including employees/contractors and joint authors), how infringement and enforcement work (civil, criminal and safe harbours), how licensing and collective management operate, protection of foreign works, and emerging reform themes (online use, enforcement and AI). And everything in between: Mondaq

Victorian MPs have passed sweeping youth-crime laws letting 14-year-olds be sentenced in adult courts — and in extreme cases, jailed for life. The bill shifts serious offences like aggravated home invasion and carjacking from the Children’s Court to the County Court, with maximum penalties sharply increased. Critics warn it breaches human rights and ignores rehabilitation. The gov says the rise in violent youth crime leaves no choice: ABC News

RBA is widely expected to hold rates for a third straight meeting — but markets are bracing for a hawkish twist. Inflation has pushed back above target, demand is holding firm and labour markets remain tight, prompting traders to price in rate hikes from mid-2026. Economists say the following move is more likely up than down: Bloomberg

Netflix: has snapped up WBD’s studios and streaming arm in an $82.7bn (A$109bn) blockbuster deal, with Skadden on the buy-side and Wachtell and Debevoise for WBD. The cash-and-scrip deal follows a fierce bidding war and now heads into antitrust headwinds as Hollywood and lawmakers cry foul over the world’s biggest streamer swallowing HBO’s home turf: GLP

Saluda: tanked 52% on ASX debut, adding to a grim ASX IPO streak with Epiminder down 23% and Carma off 31%. The $700m biotech was tipped for a smooth lift-off under ex-Cochlear exec John Parker, but shaky markets aren’t helping: The Australian

BHP’s tailings-dam class action has settled for $110m, with the court approving $55m in fees and commissions despite calling the costs “excessive”. Funders G&E KTMC will walk away with just $6.8m, having taken a reduced cut to keep half the pot for group members. BHP admits no liability and expects insurers to cover most of the payout. HSF Kramer acts for BHP, while Maurice Blackburn acts for the class action applicants: Lawyerly

Chevron is warning Labor’s looming gas reservation scheme could spook investors, especially if rules bite retrospectively. The plan targets Queensland’s LNG exporters, putting Santos’ GLNG at the greatest risk, as it is the only venture buying domestic gas to meet export deals. Fresh modelling also shows new gas plants can’t clear commercial return hurdles, raising concerns the policy could stall firming capacity and lift power prices: The Australian

ANZ is parting ways with Caryn Kakas, the exec who drove $7.3bn in social and affordable housing across Aus and NZ. Her role won’t be replaced, sparking concern ANZ could miss out on HAFF deals while rivals like NAB and CBA push harder into the sector: Capital Brief

Bendigo Bank has confirmed four arrests linked to suspected money laundering at a Vic branch, after a Deloitte review uncovered six years of AML/CTF failures across the bank. The probe found gaps in risk assessment, transaction monitoring and due diligence. Bendigo says it’s “very disappointed” and will fully fund an uplift program as regulators circle: Lawyerly

Charter Hall is cementing its spot as the year’s biggest buyer of convenience retail, circling another $250m in QLD and NSW after snapping up $360m last week. Backed by its $2.5bn Convenience Retail Fund, it’s picking off centres from Vicinity as it consolidates a fragmented sector: The Australian

Billionaire businessman Paul Lederer is back in commercial property, snapping up Mirvac’s $305m Sirius building in Canberra. The 46,000sqm office marks Lederer’s biggest direct property move since offloading a $300m mall portfolio. For Mirvac, the sale frees up capital as it chases major Sydney developments: AFR

X has been hit with a €120m (A$210m) fine after EU regulators found its blue check system misleads users, its ad library lacks transparency, and researchers are blocked from public data. It’s the first major penalty under the Digital Services Act. X calls foul, hinting the EU is targeting US firms, but the Commission says it’s about user trust: Capital Brief

Canberra’s revived plan to force tech platforms to pay for news is now in full swing, and Treasury is hinting the net may stretch beyond Meta, Google and TikTok. Senior media execs say LinkedIn is suddenly in the frame, though its $250m revenue threshold is hard to verify. With Meta walking from $70m in deals, publishers are eyeing Microsoft and TikTok as the next cheque books: Capital Brief