Ashurst Australia helps boost profits of combined firm... Baker & McKenzie environment expert reports for CEDA... and cyber crimes under discussion as Attorneys-General meet in London
Australian practice adds value to Ashurst
Following the decision last autumn to combine its UK and Australian practices into one set of finances, Ashurst has announced its first merged results. The combined turnover is just over $AUD1 billion (£586m), up 6 per cent from the legacy results of the two firms. The profit per equity partner is up 22 per cent to $AUD1.46m (£801,000). Although it’s not possible to make a direct year-on-year comparison, the firm says there has been steady growth across all jurisdictions. The firm has just been announced as a new addition to the legal panel of oil giant BP.
Baker & McKenzie environment chief reports for CEDA
The head of Baker & McKenzie’s Global Environmental Markets practice has contributed to
a new report from the Committee for the Economic Development of Australia. Martijn Wilder, who involved with many Australian environmental organisations, is one of the key authors of the report as an expert on global public policy on the environment. As well as making a compelling case for business to continue to keep climate change at the forefront of thinking, Mr Wilder points out the complex and growing legislation surrounding environmental issues. For multinational businesses in particular, keeping on top of both global regulations and the laws relating to individual regions or jurisdictions is no easy job. He points to the lack of action from the Australian government compared to that in much of the world and highlights that, in a global economy, Australian business must prepare for change.
AG meeting to discuss cyber crime
The Attorney-General in the UK is hosting his counterparts from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA this week as they meet to discuss the growing issue of cyber crime. The five senior lawyers will discuss everything from the freedom of speech issues caused by social media usage, through cyber-bullying, privacy laws and threats from criminals and terrorists. They hope to work together to build international strategies to tackle cyber crime and it's hoped there will be co-operation on education programs for judiciary in each of the ‘quintet’ countries, to further enhance the understanding of the crimes.
