In AB v Free Hearts Free Minds, the Fair Work Commission found that an Australian-based worker remotely engaged by a US non-profit was an employee, not an independent contractor, despite working from home, choosing her hours, and invoicing under an ABN. Applying the new section 15AA of the Fair Work Act, the Commission looked beyond labels to assess the "real substance" of the relationship. Ms AB’s work was integral to FHFM’s operations, she reported weekly to a director in California who directed her tasks, and she publicly held herself out as the organisation’s executive director. The takeaway? Remote work doesn't automatically equal contractor status.

Massive news. OK, not really - but still news if you care about ASIC’s financial instruments (which we know you do). ASIC is proposing to consolidate and extend 3 long-standing legislative instruments relating to general financial advice into a single instrument, ahead of their scheduled sunset on 1 October 2025. The proposal would preserve key exemptions (such as not needing an AFS licence for certain general advice in advertisements), so long as prescribed warnings are provided: ASIC

Here’s a fun Friday insight. The Federal Court has updated its Lists of Authorities and Citations Practice Note, easing citation requirements in response to access to justice concerns. From 7 May 2025, it’s no longer mandatory to include authorised report citations if unavailable—medium neutral citations will suffice.

Mari Ruiz-Matthyssen, falsely blamed for a malicious firm-wide email exposing pay data of 900 staff, is suing Slater & Gordon for reputational damage and negligence. She claims she warned CEO Dina Tutungi about the convicted fraudster behind the leak, Bridgett Maddox, within 30 minutes of the email going out. A week after the email went out, Ruiz-Matthyssen says she received a text from Maddox saying it brought her "glee" to see her impersonated in the payroll leak: The Australian

KWM is the latest firm to adopt Harvey, the generative AI platform built for law firms, across its Aussie and Singapore offices. After testing with 200 lawyers and “hundreds of use cases”, KWM says this is just the start of its tech-led client collaboration push. It follows similar Harvey deals at G+T, PwC, and A&O: Lawyers Weekly

The candidate-driven legal market is over. Empire Group says the legal salary surge is done. Their 2025/26 guide shows firms are ditching sign-on bonuses, stretching hiring processes, and going conservative on offers. Still, 1 in 3 lawyers still plan to move due to dissatisfaction with their current roles. Sydney remains the top-paying market, with commercial litigation, insurance and property in hot demand: Lawyers Weekly

Good old Gina isn’t backing down after the Libs’ bruising election loss. Ms Rinehart urged conservatives to double down, not back off, from Trump-style “common sense and truth.” The mining mogul, who donated $500k and partied at Mar-a-Lago, says it’s time to “stay and fight” and learn from the US. That’s even if Australia “doesn’t get it”: Bloomberg

It's official – you can get insurance for everything. Lloyds of London is now offering insurance against losses caused by AI—think chatbot hallucinations and rogue outputs. The policy, via Toronto startup Armilla, helps cover legal costs and damages if a customer claims harm from an AI product. Case in point: Air Canada was forced to honour a discount made up by its chatbot: Inc.

Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok has been veering wildly off-topic—responding to questions about HBO Max or Medicaid cuts with unsolicited rants about “white genocide” in South Africa. Integrated into X, the glitchy behaviour has flooded replies across the platform. No word yet from xAI or X, and no clue what triggered the derailment: Wired

IAG: is buying RAC WA for $1.35bn, adding to its $855m RAC Queensland deal and boosting gross written premiums by $3bn. The move strengthens IAG’s footprint in state-based insurers, with regulatory approvals still pending. Hawkins says both deals will lift earnings and don’t require new capital, with ACCC decisions expected next week: AFR

Dick’s Sporting Goods: is buying Foot Locker for US$2.4bn, offering an 86% premium in its biggest-ever sporting goods play. It’s the second big footwear deal this month after Skechers’ US$9.4bn buyout, as U.S. retailers brace for softer consumer demand: Reuters

Barrenjoey: has launched the sale of Perpetual’s wealth arm, which manages $20.6bn in funds under advice and delivered $29.2m profit in 1H FY25. TA Associates and Oaktree Capital are tipped as lead bidders, with first-round offers due end of May. The unit could fetch $500m–$1bn, helping Perpetual reduce its $569m debt after adviser losses and the Pendal acquisition: The Australian

Cleanaway: has got the green light on its $110m buy of Citywide’s waste and recycling arm, with the ACCC clearing the deal after finding it won’t seriously harm competition. The acquisition adds the Dynon Road transfer station to Cleanaway’s Melbourne footprint, and is set to complete by the end of FY25. No new hurdles for the waste giant’s expansion plans: Capital Brief

Rio Tinto says it’s now the world’s second largest lithium holder after closing its $10bn Arcadium deal, rebranding Arcadium to Rio Tinto Lithium. It’s targeting 200,000 tonnes of lithium carbon equivalent by 2028, with the Rincon project already producing: AustralianMining

Capricorn Metals’ Paul Criddle has stepped down as CEO after a WA court dismissed an assault charge against him. The miner says he’s leaving to “focus on personal priorities” but flagged he could return in a senior project role. Criddle joined as COO in 2024 and became CEO in Feb. Shares slipped 2% on the news: AFR

Macquarie’s board is under fire over “token” bonus cuts after ASIC sued the bank for misreporting millions of short trades over 15 years. CEO Shemara Wikramanayake’s pay dropped just $1m to $24m. With a potential $783m fine looming, critics say risk failures are now systemic. Investors vote on the rem report in July—watch this space: AFR

Australia’s $241bn Future Fund is quietly trimming its US exposure, flagging Trump’s dollar policy and geopolitical noise as risks to long-term returns. CEO Raphael Arndt thinks the US might be losing its shine as a global safe haven, with capital shifting to Europe, Japan and Australia, where fiscal tailwinds and economic stability now look more appealing: The Australian

Lendlease is close to offloading a 50% stake in six UK mega-projects to the Crown Estate. The projects are worth up to $38bn, including Thamesmead and Euston Station. The move aims to free up $250m+ in capital as part of Lendlease's Aussie pivot. Expect a FY26 close: AFR

The race to Brisbane 2032 is already unlocking a boom. Developers are swarming precincts around the new Victoria Park Stadium, with suburbs like Herston, Bowen Hills, and Spring Hill set for a glow-up. Colliers says rising demand will turbocharge office, retail and high-density housing, making these “golden rings” a once-in-a-decade shot for investors looking to ride the Olympic wave: COMO

Uber’s lining up a table, no seriously. From September, users in Sydney and London can reserve restaurants via OpenTable inside the Uber Eats app. Dine there using Uber? You’ll get a discount. Plus: OpenTable points are now redeemable on Uber Eats. Plus, there’s priority access to hot spots in the pipeline: Bloomberg

The EU says TikTok breached Digital Services Act rules by failing to publish a proper ad library—a tool meant to help users and researchers spot scam or shady ads. Regulators say TikTok didn’t disclose who paid for ads, what they were about, or who they targeted. ByteDance could now face a fine of up to 6% of global turnover: Reuters