The novel coronavirus pandemic has forced Australian courtrooms into the virtual world, with many barristers and solicitors litigating via phone or video for the first time. Here, some of Australia’s top barristers offer tips on how to bring your A game into the virtual realm.
While law firms and barristers are bracing for work slowdowns due to the coronavirus, litigation funders told Lawyerly it’s business as usual for them.
Herbert Smith Freehills is reducing partner profit distributions as part of cost-cutting measures in the face of uncertainty wrought by the coronavirus pandemic, and staff salary reviews have been postponed by six months.
While law firms turn to cost-cutting measures to manage shrinking revenues and uncertain cash flow during the coronavirus pandemic, including reducing staff pay and hours, partners may be last in line for a share of what’s left, a legal industry expert tells Lawyerly.
Bracing for a slowdown in work as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and calling on its staff to “face this situation together”, Norton Rose Fulbright is reducing pay and hours by up to 20 per cent for the majority of its 1000 lawyers and support staff in Australia.
The coronavirus has forged changes in the legal profession that will outlast the pandemic itself, leading to greater flexibility and efficiencies in an industry steeped in tradition and notably slow to adopt new technologies, sources told Lawyerly.
Hicksons Lawyers has denied accusations of sexual discrimination by a female ex-partner who was denied a promotion to equity partner, saying she was passed over for the role because of substandard profitability and poor performance.
As law firms and funders scramble to keep up with COVID-19’s impact on the legal landscape, some have gone above and beyond in creating new technological and service solutions for clients in these unprecedented times.
With the legal industry looking for ways to “share the pain” among staff amid a potential slowdown in work due to the coronavirus, several top-tier firms told Lawyerly they had no immediate plans to slash salaries or reduce staff hours.
With a large number of lawyers now working from home amid the coronavirus crisis, law firms are getting creative, turning to virtual yoga, cocktail deliveries and more to maintain the health and well-being of their staff.