Behind the GoCatch v Uber battle

Exec wants offices to feel like hotels

How Clutz’s CEO became partner at 29

Justice Nichols rejected GoCatch’s (Taxi Apps Pty Ltd) claim that Uber conspired to destroy its business, but not before damning revelations. Uber scraped driver data, cold-called recruits, and emailed “F*** those guys”. Corrs + Michael Hodge KC led GoCatch’s charge. HSF Kramer, John Sheahan KC + David Sulan SC steered Uber’s successful defence. Check out the breakdown here.

AI isn’t just disrupting law firms anymore - it’s buying them. Google-backed Lawhive just became the first legal AI company to acquire a law firm, buying UK conveyancing shop Woodstock. The 50+ lawyers will now work alongside “Lawrence”, Lawhive’s in-house AI assistant: NB

Imagine making partner before 30. Enter Emma Covacevich. Clayton Utz’s CEO didn’t plan to become an oil and gas lawyer. But a 12-month secondment to Clayton Utz’s Melbourne office changed everything. What started as a reluctant deep dive into Bass Strait joint ventures fast-tracked her into high-stakes energy deals, and by 29, she was made partner: AFR

The NSW Supreme Court has clarified that emails can validly vary contracts, even those tied to big-ticket deals. In PF 473 Pty Ltd v Qasim, parties adjusted a $2.8m loan and mortgage terms over email. The Court held the messages showed clear mutual intention, satisfying writing and signature requirements under the Interpretation Act and Electronic Transactions Act. Justice Faulkner also flagged that while email variations are enforceable, the registered mortgage still reigns supreme in defining lender rights. The case is a reminder that “must be in writing” variation clauses won’t block email amendments: Baron + Associates

The Federal Court has ordered The Good Guys to pay $13.5m for misleading store credit and ‘StoreCash’ promos. Between 2019–23, 116 campaigns offered up to $1,000 credit but failed to flag 7–10 day expiry periods or the need to stay opted in to marketing emails. The retailer also didn’t deliver credits to 21,500 consumers on time. The Court said the conduct misled shoppers into purchases they may not have made, breaching both the ACL and ASIC Act. The Good Guys has remediated affected customers and cooperated with the ACCC, but will now also re-issue credits with longer expiry periods to eligible shoppers: ACCC

The High Court has refused special leave in the Runtong/CEG mortgage dispute, leaving the Full Federal Court as the leading authority on s 588FDA unreasonable director-related transactions. While the mortgage reduced directors’ personal exposure, the Court said the benefit alone isn’t enough. Because Runtong was financially dependent on its related entities, backing their loans was commercially rational. The ruling confirms that deals benefiting directors won’t be voided if they also make sound commercial sense. For liquidators, robust evidence is key when chasing clawbacks: Allens

NAB’s 410 tech job cuts were no surprise on Reddit, where users flagged them 17 days early. From ANZ’s email bungles to Slaters’ salary leaks, subreddits like r/auscorp are tipping off staff and media before corporates can spin. With 211k members and growing, what started as memes is now a media force that bosses can’t control: AFR

Liberal Senator Jane Hume has put forward a bill to let couples split up to $2m in super without extra tax. It’s pitched as a way to tackle the 25% gap between men and women’s retirement savings by allowing transfers from the higher-balance partner. The move is voluntary, capped, and now awaits Government and crossbench support in the Senate: TDA

Ex-Facebook and Atlassian remote work exec now at CBRE, pushing to make offices feel more like hotels. Think better design, seamless tech, great service. With CBRE managing 2bn sq ft of office space, Dean’s new lab will trial ways to lure staff back by turning the daily grind into spaces people actually want to be in: Business Insider

HSF Kramer: says private equity is storming the ASX as private deal flow dries up, with Johns Lyng, Apiam, Lynch, Infomedia and IRESS already targeted this year. Partners Jason Jordan and Nicole Pedler note bidders are getting aggressive – snapping up pre-bid stakes, locking in shareholder support and paying fat premiums, often 50%+, to force outcomes in volatile markets: AFR

Bank of Queensland: has hired Bank of America to sell $3.8bn of equipment finance loans, sweetening the process with a securitisation package covering 95% of the book. That leaves buyers needing just ~$200m equity, making it ripe for private credit players like Apollo, Blackstone or Bain: The Australian

Lederer Group: will lodge a new bidder’s statement for Elanor Commercial Property Fund after the Takeovers Panel waved through its amended disclosures. Lederer wants control of ECF, citing weak governance and performance, but Elanor has labelled the tilt “opportunistic” and urged holders to reject: Capital Brief

A truck driver has won $30k compo after the FWC found MinRes unfairly sacked him, despite him secretly recording safety complaints on a smartwatch. Martin Stoddard alleged faulty trucks were sent onto roads, while MinRes argued he broke its “no phones” rule. The case comes as MinRes faces scrutiny over a string of accidents on its $3bn Onslow haul road: The Australian

Canberra could sign off on Woodside’s North West Shelf extension as soon as Friday, after four months of talks over new environmental conditions. The project’s life may now stretch to 2070, but Murujuga custodians and a Federal Court case have delayed approval. The latest condition on nitrogen oxide emissions aims to protect the now World Heritage-listed Burrup Peninsula rock art: AFR

ANZ is officially recreating the Hunger Games. ANZ workers have been told they must reapply for two roles and fight it out for one of those positions, with no formal interview process. 3500 jobs and 1000 contractors are being cut, mostly in retail and tech. Meanwhile, GC Ken Adams maintains everyone will be treated with “dignity”: AFR

Across the pond, Klarna shares surged 30% on their New York IPO, opening at $52 to give the BNPL giant a $20bn valuation. The float, the biggest for a Swedish company in the US since Spotify in 2018, raised $1.17bn for major backers: Reuters

Coles has spent at least $67m in 18 months snapping up supermarket sites, including five across Mirvac’s housing estates in QLD, NSW and VIC. It’s part of a wider land grab, with Coles and Woolies buying 260 sites since 2019. Coles says it’s securing space in growth corridors to lock in future shoppers: AFR

Lendlease has sold a boutique Barangaroo South office for $30.1m to the Gravanis brothers’ Oscars Group, best known for buying Luna Park. The 5-level building at 400 Barangaroo Ave, anchored by Virgin Active and rooftop bar Untied, is the only non-strata office of its size in the precinct, sitting among towers leased to KPMG, PwC, HSBC and Westpac: The Australian

Oracle shares jumped 41%, pushing the firm close to a US$1tn market cap. The surge lifted Larry Ellison’s fortune by US$101bn to US$393bn, making him the world’s richest man, ahead of Elon Musk’s US$385bn. Oracle’s boom comes off $500bn in booked cloud revenue and mega deals with OpenAI and SoftBank’s $500bn Stargate project: Capital Brief

Telstra boss Vicki Brady says US and Chinese tech giants should face the same 500 regs Telstra does, warning the playing field isn’t level. Speaking after the ACCC’s five-year digital platforms inquiry, she backed tougher rules on data hoarding and self-preferencing, while calling for smarter, less clunky approvals on major fibre rollouts: The Australian