Mallesons has gone live with its rebrand, dropping the King & Wood name after 14 years. The firm is trading its "Asia to the World" positioning for something closer to home: the top-tier independent firm from Australia. The new identity centres on a periwinkle colour scheme and a one-word slogan, "Always." It's a deliberate nod to the firm's roots at Mallesons Stephen Jaques, tracing back to 1832. The umbrella and business cards are incoming: Point Blank

⚖️ IP: The High Court has restored Australian designer Katie Taylor's trade mark in class 25, defeating a cancellation bid by pop star Katy Perry's entities in a 3–2 split. The key was Taylor's priority date of 29 September 2008: not a single item of Katy Perry-branded clothing had been sold in Australia before then, so the singer's reputation, however vast, didn't extend to apparel. A celebrity's general merch habit won't establish a clothing reputation without actual Australian sales. The matter's been remitted to the Full Federal Court on relief, including what Taylor's 10-year delay means for her recovery. Corrs acted for the singer. Here’s our take: Point Blank

⚖️ M&A / Resources: Mining deal activity is set to stay hot in 2026, with critical minerals, mega-mergers and geopolitics driving the agenda. Acquisition-led growth dominates as greenfield development stays unattractive on cost grounds. All-share consideration, earn-outs, royalty arrangements and contingent value mechanisms are increasingly common as deal structures grow more complex. Regulatory headwinds are intensifying too: foreign investment screening, mandatory merger control (live in Australia since 1 January 2026) and local content requirements are adding friction and timeline risk. African jurisdictions are leaning harder into state participation. Supply chain security, not just commodity prices, is now the strategic lens: HSF Kramer

⚖️ Banking: Treasury has released its full Tranche 1 payments reform package, overhauling how payment service providers are regulated in Australia. The reforms introduce AFS licensing requirements, a standalone APRA prudential regime for systemically significant players, and enhanced rules for stored value facilities, including prohibitions on paying interest through SVFs and new monthly disclosure obligations for tokenised SVF providers. Customer funds must, by default, be held in trust with an ADI. Exemptions exist for low-value products and services. Reforms kick in 12 months post-royal assent, with transition periods of one to six months depending on existing licence status. Consultation closes 9 April: Hall & Wilcox

Turns out leaning too hard on AI might be quietly hollowing out your actual skills. Researchers are calling it the "AI rebound effect" — output rises, ability declines. One dev who built an entire app without writing a line of code said when he finally took the wheel himself, he hesitated. The real concern is for junior lawyers who never build baseline skills at all, just AI-assisted confidence: Business Insider

Also…

Filling up the work ute just got a lot more painful. The ACCC says diesel hit $3.04 a litre across Australia's five biggest cities last week, up nearly 28c in seven days, with petrol not far behind at $2.52. The Iran conflict is driving the surge, with oil prices spiking on supply fears. Perth is the cheapest for diesel, while Canberra's copping it hardest. For our readers in Vic and Tassie, not to fret - public transport is now free through April in Victoria and through to the end of June in Tasmania: The Australian, BBC

🏦 Macquarie Asset Management is scrambling to rescue Bingo Industries, the waste management business it bought for $2.3bn in 2021, which it has struggled to turn around ever since. A rescue package is landing on lenders' desks imminently, with Houlihan Lokey called in on their side: AFR

🛠️ Airtasker has locked in a $5m advertising deal with Nine Entertainment, scoring cross-platform exposure across free-to-air, 9Now and Nine's digital and publishing brands for two-plus years: Capital Brief