In Mount v Dover Castle Metals (Costs), the Federal Court spared Ryan Mount a costs order despite his claims being dismissed. Mount had alleged whistleblower retaliation and breaches of the Corps Act and Fair Work Act. The company argued he should pay up for rejecting two pre-trial settlement offers. But Justice Katzmann disagreed—at the time, Mount had plausible prospects of success, including potential for pecuniary penalties or exemplary damages. The offers were made early, when key facts were still murky, so his decision to go to trial wasn’t unreasonable. The Court took a forward-looking view, focusing on what Mount knew then, not how the case ultimately ended.

The Parliamentary Joint Committee has recommended no change (for now) to the wholesale client thresholds—so investors can still qualify as wholesale under Chapter 7 of the Corporations Act if they invest $500k+, or have $2.5m in net assets or $250k annual income (with an accountant’s sign-off). That’s despite eligibility ballooning from 1.9% of adults in 2001 to 18% in 2024, and forecast to hit 43.6% by 2041: G+T

In a new decision, the NSW Supreme Court backed a former exec who was stiffed on wages and denied his 25% shareholding. Despite the employer, Picks Group, claiming he was never meant to be an “employee”, the Court enforced the written contract, ordering $US65k in unpaid wages plus interest, along with a suite of entitlements. But the real sting? The Court found Picks Group and its principal had repudiated the arrangement for the exec to buy a 25% shareholding for US$233k—blocking his work, ghosting the final invoice, and never setting up the company. The Court ordered the employer to pay US$282k plus costs for the repudiation.

When Elena Tsalanidis and Justin Hansky left law to launch Deeligence, they had one goal: kill lawyers’ most hated task — due diligence. After hundreds of customer interviews, a brutal $1m raise, and a major AI pivot, they’re now helping lawyers ditch the grunt work for strategic thinking. We caught up with Elena and Justin to hear about:

Read it all here.

Dentons has become the first major Aussie law firm to report a 0% median gender pay gap, according to 2025 WGEA data. That’s down from 15% in 2022. The firm credits its Gender 360 Strategy, annual pay audits, and 26 weeks’ paid family leave. It’s a huge milestone—and a challenge to the rest of BigLaw to catch up.

Across the pond, things are smitten. The BigLaw’s 200 law firms recorded profits per equity partner up 12.8% to $1.1m and revenue per lawyer up 8.5%. Collectively, they pulled in $27.8bn—nearly matching the Am Law 100’s growth and, in some metrics, outrunning the top dogs. Not bad for the so-called “smaller” firms: Above the Law

Are board standards too low? In ASIC’s case against Star Entertainment directors, Justice Michael Lee made it clear that non-execs cannot plead ignorance. If you're pocketing board fees, he said, you’re expected to read the damn board papers. ASIC's test case alleges NEDs failed on money-laundering oversight. Lee’s message? You don’t get paid to coast: Capital Brief

Remember playing Hot or Not in primary school? Well, people are now turning to AI. A new trend sees people uploading selfies to ChatGPT and asking for brutal glow-up advice—and yep, they're spending big on Botox and bangs. Users say AI feels more “objective” than mates, but experts warn it’s just echoing internet beauty bias. One TikToker summed it up: “It told me I’m mid and could go from a 5 to a 7 with makeup and fillers.” Rough: AFR

Speaking of AI troubles, Elon Musk’s DOGE team is reportedly pushing his AI chatbot Grok into the U.S. federal government without proper approvals. The tool’s being used to analyse sensitive data, raising conflict concerns as well as privacy risks, and self-dealing. Critics warn it could give Musk’s xAI a competitive edge—and possibly access to millions of Americans’ personal info. Federal watchdogs claim to be watching: Reuters

WiseTech: is paying $3.2bn for e2open, its biggest deal yet, as Richard White tries to reset investor confidence post-governance fallout. Funded by $4.6bn in debt, the US acquisition brings churn risks and thinner margins, but WiseTech is betting on turnaround synergies and a broader global footprint. The 3.5x leverage has some investors twitchy, but shares popped 4.7%. HSF are advising WiseTech, while US firm Kirkland & Ellis rep e2Open: AFR

Healthscope: entered receivership with McGrathNicol now running the show as lenders, led by Polus and Canyon, wanted action over Brookfield’s handling of the $1.4bn debt. But Aussie top banks wanted to avoid an insolvency event. Now a sale is on the cards. Calvary has tapped Jefferies to bid, joining a long queue of not-for-profit suitors. With only 6 of 37 hospitals being profitable, there will be a battle for the distressed assets: The Australian

SGH: the Stokes family’s $20.6bn vehicle is circling Whyalla steelworks, with CEO Ryan Stokes visiting ahead of 333 Capital’s formal sale process. While BlueScope and POSCO are front-runners, Whyalla fits SGH’s M&A sweet spot–$100–$200m earnings and a 3–5 year turnaround. The catch? Big liabilities from a chequered history under Sanjeev Gupta: AFR

The AER has signed off on electricity price hikes of up to 9.7% for NSW, with SA and QLD seeing smaller rises of around 3.7%. Rising retail, network and wholesale costs, plus the need to fund both aging coal plants and new renewables, are pushing prices higher. Average bills will rise $228—a hit just as households hoped for relief: AFR

A rock sitting in a UWA professor’s office may stop Woodwise’s $30bn North West Shelf expansion. UWA professor Benjamin Smith says new lab tests show recent industrial pollution is degrading the Burrup Peninsula’s ancient rock art. The WA Government says a 1970s power station is to blame for any erosion, but the professor is ready to debunk that claim. As the pressure rises, Minister Murray Watt is likely days away from delivering an approval decision: The Australian

China is fast-tracking bank and brokerage mergers to create global-scale players that can rival JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley. With 1 in 20 rural banks shuttered in the past year, the focus is now on streamlining China’s fragmented financial system into leaner, more competitive firms: Retail Banker International

OpenFX just raised US$23m to build a real-time, open FX network, claiming to cut cross-border transfer times by 99% and fees by 90%. Its multi-layer liquidity model links banks and digital rails, settling 90% of FX transfers in under 60 mins—a huge leap from the industry’s 2–7 day norm. With billions already processed, it’s now eyeing Latin America and Asia in a bid to modernise the FX market: FinExtra

Imagine coming to work on Friday, and instead of expecting Friday night drinks, you're greeted with a burst sewage pipe. Well, that's what happened at Sydney's Salesforce Tower - the foyer was a literal biohazard zone, with sludge spilling out near the lifts. Lendlease, the tower’s builder and manager, had it cleaned up by Monday—but not before staff from TikTok, Zip Co, JLL, and others got an unwanted whiff. Talk about a PR nightmare: AFR

Want a sky-high office view in a premium Sydney tower? It'll now cost you 60% more than lower floors—the steepest premium in 50 years, says CBRE. Trophy offices in the CBD core are commanding $800/sqm more, but cost-conscious tenants are drifting to cheaper fringe markets, where two-thirds of big deals now land: COMO

The Tech Council and Australian Investment Council warn that the proposed super tax on unrealised gains will hurt early-stage funding and choke off capital for Aussie startups. With $4bn raised by VC funds in 2024, they say super (especially SMSFs) plays a crucial role—and taxing paper gains is a "bizarre contradiction" to the gov’s innovation agenda: Capital Brief

Aussie startups are hitting Series B and C rounds faster than in years, with median ages dropping to 5.8 years (Series B) and 6.6 years (Series C). It’s a sign the post-2021 funding freeze is thawing—but only for the disciplined and de-risked. Seed funding stayed steady, but VCs are opting for proven winners in later rounds than over wild punts: SmartCompany