In recent years, there have been numerous examples of workers – such as rugby star Israel Folau – having suffered employment consequences, including termination, for expression of personal views. This, Josh Bornstein argues, is demonstrative of a concerning and increasing level of power and control that corporations now have over the private lives of their employees.

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Maurice Blackburn principal and head of employment law Josh Bornstein about why workplace and industrial relations law is so stimulating for lawyers and also essential for the community, the need for trauma-informed approaches to practice, and the evolving societal landscape that has resulted in corporate entities having greater control over their employees’ lives.

Bornstein also reflects on the extent to which the court of public opinion drives corporate decision making regarding employment of individuals, how technology and social media contribute to this storm, his take on “corporate cancel culture”, the difficulty corporations have in balancing legal obligations against community expectations, how global pushback against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) may exacerbate such issues, and why he thinks we are living through a “second Gilded Age”.

Bornstein is the author of Working for the Brand: how corporations are destroying free speech.

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If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email editor@lawyersweekly.com.au for more insights!

For Elle Jones, working as a fractional general counsel not only better suits her needs – it also works well, she says, for businesses that don’t have an in-house legal function. This vocational pathway, she has observed, is “popping up all over the place”.

In this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Essential Legal Solutions director and principal Elle Jones about how she changed careers and ended up in law, how and why she transitioned in-house, why fractional work has become a more suitable vocational path for her, and what the day-to-day looks like while working with multiple organisations.

Jones also delves into striking the right balance with her work, the approach she employs, the value of doing non-GC work for clients, switching between various projects, ensuring a business is receptive to the idea of working with a fractional practitioner, the challenges and opportunities facing fractional GCs right now (including tech developments), and why we’ll see more fractional GCs in the market.

If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email editor@lawyersweekly.com.au for more insights!

Recently, the High Court has recognised that an “impoverishment of evidence” will not, in and of itself, give rise to successful applications for permanent stays of proceedings. Here, a BigLaw partner unpacks two recent decisions from the court and what those matters mean for litigators.

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Clyde & Co partner Luke O’Kane about his career as a litigator and why there is an increase in the number of claims being brought pertaining to historical sexual abuse and personal injury, the lessons and takeaways from two recent High Court decisions, and the implications of those judgments for stay applications.

O’Kane also delves into how an absence of evidence should be treated in such matters moving forward, the need for courts to treat such matters in more idiosyncratic ways and not take blackletter approaches to proceedings, what such rulings mean for claimants, how the rulings change the landscape for litigators on both sides of the table, and his broad guidance to litigators nationwide in the wake of the High Court’s decisions.

If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email editor@lawyersweekly.com.au for more insights!

The prospect of a career break for family planning and childrearing purposes can be incredibly daunting. Here, a firm owner and new mum reflects on how legal business leaders can step away from their practices in ways that work for them.

In this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Jaide Law founder and principal Malisa Howard to discuss the importance of speaking openly about the hurdles women lawyers face in stepping away from their legal practices to take maternity leave, why taking such leave is so important for mothers in law, and the myriad physical, emotional, psychological, financial, and professional considerations one needs to weigh up in undergoing such processes.

Howard also delves into perceptions that expecting mothers in law may have to face, how she mapped out how she wanted to take leave and manage her business needs, the thought processes and practical steps involved, whether cross-referral and load-sharing arrangements are worthwhile, how technology can assist in such processes, navigating one’s fears and anxieties about the business’ health, overcoming stigma, the different maternity leave structures, and her personal reflections on her journey with maternity leave and coming back to running her law firm.

If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email editor@lawyersweekly.com.au for more insights!

Lawyers, Jahan Kalantar says, are a “conduit for complicated problems”. To this end, practitioners must be better at appreciating the “greater fiduciary duty” they hold not just to the courts but also to clients and their idiosyncratic needs.

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back the “TikTok lawyer”, Jahan Kalantar. They discuss the ever-present need for lawyers to be better communicators with clients of all stripes, being more than a blackletter practitioner, the extent to which needs and expectations dictate communication styles, how the age of AI and other new technologies change client impressions of communication, and the place for soft skills against the backdrop of a need for greater tech proficiency.

Kalantar also delves into how best to contact clients, adapting to tailored approaches, practical steps to become a better communicator, having a deeper understanding for you who are, as a practitioner, listening more, and discusses his new book, Talking Your Way Out Of Trouble.

If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email editor@lawyersweekly.com.au for more insights!

Here, a senior corporate lawyer reflects on the three-year career break she took to be a full-time carer and what businesses need to do to ensure that the idiosyncratic family needs of workers, including in the law department, are accounted for.

In this episode of The Corporate Counsel Show – brought to you by Lawyers Weekly’s sister brand, HR Leader – host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with ANZ senior procurement lawyer Porscia Lam about her legal career and decision to take a three-year break to care for her son, balancing work against family needs, what the response was like to her move, and how her perceptions of Australian workplaces have evolved in recent years.

Lam also delves into the need for businesses to better accommodating parenting needs, identifying the business case for increased support, what works and doesn’t work when supporting parents with neurodiverse children, ingraining such support in the workplace’s culture, the role of law departments in driving such change and making sure such support remains, even against the pushback against DEI measures.

If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email editor@lawyersweekly.com.au for more insights!

In recent days, and on the back of lower inflation, hopes of a rate cut have been boosted. Here, we unpack how legal professionals of all stripes can prepare for such a decision by the Reserve Bank and how they can leverage their unique professional benefits to do so.

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Legal Home Loans director of sales Cullen Haynes to discuss why the February RBA meeting is generating so much buzz, what happened in 2024, whether we can expect rates to be cut soon, the factors influencing the RBA’s decision, and how a potential cut could affect borrowing costs and loan approvals for lawyers.

Haynes also delves into the implications for lawyers moving forward, including those who are prospective buyers and those who are already property owners, the unique advantages lawyers can access to improve their borrowing prospects, the financial stress lawyers are feeling, and the advantage of being ready to act quickly before rates are called.

If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email editor@lawyersweekly.com.au for more insights!

In the face of myriad forms of elder abuse and against the backdrop of an ageing population, interprofessional collaboration on legal matters will be paramount moving forward.

In this episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back M De Mestre Lawyers founder and principal Mary-Ann de Mestre to discuss the state of affairs in elder law, the various forms of abuse that elder persons may suffer, the urgent need to address such matters, and why broader education for lawyers and non-lawyers is required.

De Mestre also fleshes out the impact that such work can have on lawyers, the practical steps that must be taken by practitioners (including upskilling and specialising), whether elder law will soon be seen as a standalone niche practice area, the need to liaise and engage with myriad stakeholders, and what good collaboration will look like in the future.

If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email editor@lawyersweekly.com.au for more insights!