The Federal Court’s ruling in Pabai v Commonwealth sits worlds apart from the International Court of Justice’s recent advisory opinion. The ICJ found that States have a positive duty to prevent climate risk and mitigate the impacts of climate change. But the Court found no duty of care on the Commonwealth to prevent climate harm, calling it a matter of government policy. The ICJ says States must regulate public and private emissions based on the best available science. While not binding, these rising international standards could shape future Australian law and policy, and businesses should expect heightened climate scrutiny: KWM

As AI adoption ramps up, buyers in M&A deals are facing a new risk frontier. A growing number of businesses are deploying AI tools without proper governance, training or legal safeguards in place. That leaves acquirers exposed. Hall & Wilcox suggests lawyers should now dig beyond the usual checklist and ask: does the target know what AI systems it's using, what data was used to train them, who holds the IP, and what happens when it fails? Contracts, privacy compliance, cyber risk, and staff training are all critical pressure points. With AI regulation heating up globally, poor due diligence today could mean big liability tomorrow: Hall & Wilcox

The Federal Court has updated its Practice Information Note APP 1, setting out how Full Court and appellate matters are triaged, expedited and managed. It covers everything from urgent applications and consultation processes to case management referrals and listings, and clarifies the role of the National Appeals Coordinating Judge. A must-read (albeit not a great read) for appeals lawyers ahead of their next listing.

KWM has taken the H1 M&A crown by deal count, advising on 53 transactions - 16 more than any rival, per Mergermarket. Allens and Minters tied for second with 37, while HSF Kramer and Hamilton Locke trailed at 34. KWM also nabbed #1 for deal value in APAC. Check out our full post here.

HSF Kramer partner Amelia Morgan is heading to Ashurst, rejoining Tony Damian - her former Freehills colleague and co-editor of Bootmakers, Boards and Rogues. Morgan’s move follows her lead role on deals for CBA, CSR, and RAC WA, and comes just two years after making partner at HSF. A major M&A win for Ashurst’s corporate Syd bench: AFR

You’d think equity partnership would be hot property. Not at Deloitte. Deloitte is actually struggling to fill equity partner spots because it pays less than salaried roles. Some new equity partners are taking home just $350k, down from the $500k top end of salaried ranks. What’s Deloitte’s fix, you ask? A $65k bonus if you stay 3 years: AFR

Former Freehills lawyer, Suzie Miller’s new play Inter Alia follows a judge-mum juggling consent law and parental guilt after her teenage son is accused of sexual assault. Like her award-winning play Prima Facie, it takes a scalpel to the legal system’s failures, this time from inside the judiciary. Rosamund Pike anchors a look at how justice can fall apart when it’s close to home: AFR

Ditch law, it’s time to become an influencer. Top Aussie influencers are charging up to $10k a post, while 55% of people would quit their jobs if they thought they could make money influencing. But it’s a long slog to full-time income - 58% still work other jobs, and 2 in 3 influencers have under 10k followers. The real money? Building businesses off their brand: AFR

Ever wondered which airlines’ frequent flyers program is the best bang-for-buck? A new ranking of airline loyalty schemes puts Virgin Atlantic on top, with points worth 2.1c each. Qantas nudged out Velocity for the Aussie crown, averaging 1.8c vs 1.7c per point. Air New Zealand came in last, with its points worth just 1c: The Australian

Blackstone is reeling after a gunman stormed its Manhattan HQ, tragically killing four people, including top exec Wesley LePatner. Staff used couches and other furniture to barricade the doors during what President Jon Gray called the firm’s “worst day”. The firm’s offices are now shut indefinitely: Bloomberg

Betr: has lifted its all-scrip offer for PointsBet by 10.7% to $1.35 a share, but the Takeovers Panel has blocked it from mailing out offer docs after PointsBet claimed the bid was “misleading and unbalanced”. The board still backs MIXI’s $1.20 cash bid, citing Betr’s illiquid shares, overstated synergies and patchy disclosure from chair Matthew Tripp: Capital Brief

Greatland Resources: shares have tanked 24% post-guidance downgrade, trimming its market cap to $3.5bn and fuelling chatter that Evolution Mining should make a move. A scrip deal would be earnings-accretive, adding up to 310k oz gold at a $1500 AISC. But Klein’s M&A aversion, and Telfer’s costly rehab, could keep Evolution on the sidelines: The Australian

SIS ANZ: is eyeing a local IPO, with Citi prepping the deal to revive its ECM mojo. The Aussie arm of India’s SIS Group clocks in $1bn annual recurring revenue and a 10-year, $1.5bn Defence contract via MSS. With 22% market share and clients like Sydney Trains and Google, it’s hoping for a valuation pop on the ASX: AFR

Bad news for Rio investors - its half-year profit slumped 16% to $US4.8bn, missing forecasts and prompting its smallest interim dividend in 7 years. Outgoing CEO Jakob Stausholm blamed weaker iron ore prices but stood by his $12bn lithium spree, calling it a bet that’ll pay off in 3 to 5 years: AFR

Meanwhile, MinRes has some good news. The miner met its FY25 production and cost targets across the board, with Onslow Iron now cashflow positive and ramping to full capacity by September. It’s also tightening governance, appointing a new chair and two NEDs, and hiring KWM to review board processes. Only up from here: MiningWeekly

ASIC has doubled its probes into financial advisers amid the $1bn collapse of Shield and First Guardian schemes, which left 11,000 investors stranded. Chair Joe Longo says the super industry is becoming a magnet for scammers, and trustees and platforms need to have processes to identify super erosion instead of “passing the buck”: AFR

Airwallex is doubling its London office space after UK revenues surged 109% in H1 2025, outpacing growth in Australia and Singapore. The Aussie-founded payments unicorn now boasts $720m in annualised revenue and a $6.2bn valuation. A new 16,000 sq ft Fitzrovia HQ will support its UK hiring spree and launch of new products like Yield: Finextra

Property funds are flooding into Brisbane offices. Acure is raising cash to snap up an $80m riverfront tower in Milton from Keppel, while AsheMorgan is circling Dexus’ AM60 complex in the CBD for $200m. The push signals growing confidence in Brisbane’s office rebound: The Australian

Hotel occupancy rose to 72% nationally in H1 2025 thanks to corporate travel, but room rates dropped in five major cities as operators prioritised bookings over price. Hobart led the rebound (up 5.6%), boosted by the new DoubleTree by Hilton, while Perth topped occupancy at 79.9%. Rising costs in labour, energy and insurance are squeezing profits despite the tourism bounce: AFR

Gilmour Space is claiming a big step forward despite its Aussie-made Eris-1 rocket crashing 14 seconds after launch. It’s the first orbital attempt from Australia in 50+ years, with key systems working before an “anomaly” cut it short. CEO Adam Gilmour says they’ve “learned a tremendous amount” and their next rocket is already in production: Capital Brief

Atlassian has laid off 150 staff, replacing many with AI, via a blunt pre-recorded message from Mike Cannon-Brookes. Laptops were blocked immediately, with exits confirmed by email. The cuts hit customer support, which the co-founder said was made redundant by cloud upgrades and AI. Some staff noted the cold delivery, saying ex-co-CEO Scott Farquhar would’ve “softened the blow”: The Australian