Mallesons Podcasts

Mallesons' Directions Report 2026 is your essential guide to what’s top of mind for Australian directors and senior business leaders. Now in its 16th year, co-authors and Corporate M&A Partners Meredith Paynter and Rhys Casey discuss the 2026 findings. Key findings include: Australian businesses are getting on with it, remaining committed to growth and investment despite softer optimism and ongoing economic and geopolitical uncertainty. Productivity has emerged as the defining business challenge, sitting at the centre of strategic decision-making and shaping priorities across investment, technology and organisational transformation. There is no AI 'sugar hit': while AI has become the top priority for business, many organisations are still working to convert significant investment into tangible productivity gains and measurable returns. The relationship between business and government is becoming more strained, as leaders call for policy settings that better support investment, innovation, competitiveness and productivity growth. Geopolitical uncertainty is reshaping business strategy, creating an opportunity for Australian businesses to build trust and act as commercially grounded diplomats in an increasingly fractured world.

What does it take to move from AI experimentation to enterprise-wide impact? In this episode of AI Now, Gideon Ratner from Quantium joins Mallesons partners Bryony Evans and Peta Stevenson to share what Quantium has learned from its own AI transformation, and from working with organisations across sectors including retail, banking, telecommunications and the public sector. The discussion offers practical lessons for business leaders looking to scale AI beyond pilots and proof-of-concepts. Gideon shares real examples of how organisations are using AI to redesign workflows, improve decision-making and turn experimentation into business value.

Gender-based violence and discrimination don’t stop at the workplace door. Addressing them requires sustained commitment, systemic change and the courage to speak up. In this episode, host Clem Johnson sits down with Fiona McLeay, Victorian Legal Services Board CEO and Commissioner, and co-chair of Equality Australia . Fiona shares what it takes to shift culture in the legal profession, why prevention is harder to fund but essential, and how allyship, standing just behind, ready when needed, can be the most powerful thing a leader does. CREDITS: Host: Clem Johnson Executive Producer & Editor: Pariya Taherzadeh Co-Producers: Clem Johnson, Tania Winlaw & Elise Perry Video Editor: Pariya Taherzadeh This episode is brought to you by Mallesons.

Class action filings fell to their lowest level in almost a decade, while more than $1.65 billion in settlements were approved. To mark the launch of the 14th edition of The Review: Class Actions in Australia 2025/2026 , Mallesons Partners Alex Morris and Peta Stevenson discuss the major developments shaping class action risk and what organisations should be watching in the year ahead. Key topics discussed What is behind the fall in class action filings Why settlement values remain high Key developments in shareholder class actions, including Brambles and Worley Growing overlap between class actions and regulatory actions Developments in litigation funding and group costs orders Emerging areas of risk, including AI, cyber and data breaches and ESG-related claims What boards and in-house legal teams should be watching next

What happens when multiple insureds are drawing on the same policy? In the latest Mallesons and Stewarts podcast, Peter Yeldham , Mandy Tsang and James Breese unpack the Australian and English approaches to four perennial issues in insurance claims where multiple persons are insured under the same policy: notification, allocation, erosion of policy limits, and insured vs insured exclusions. Read more here: Mallesons Insurance Pocketbook 2026 and Stewarts Policyholder Review 2026

How are leading legal teams using AI today - and what might the future legal function look like? In the latest episode of AI Now, Microsoft 's Head of Legal for Australia and New Zealand, Ben Gilbert , joins Mallesons Partner Bryony Evans and Head of Cyber Cheng Lim for a practical discussion on how Microsoft is using AI and what he's seeing at other ‘AI frontier’ organisations. They discuss… The transition to agentic workflows Building an AI-powered ‘front door’ to legal advice Scaling through technology before headcount – and prioritising culture The shift from ‘legal as a service’ to ‘legal as a platform’ And more. Keen for more AI content? Join us at the Mallesons Digital Future Summit this August. Hear from Professor Toby Walsh on workplace transformation and Dragonfly Thinking founder Anthea Roberts on using AI to improve strategic decision-making, along with other leading authorities across cyber, privacy, quantum, productivity and more.

What does it mean to belong nowhere? In this episode, host Clem Johnson sits down with Associate Professor Radha Govil and Dr. Jade Roberts from the Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness at Melbourne Law School to unpack one of the world's most overlooked human rights crises. They discuss the link between statelessness and refugee displacement, the world's first global statelessness caselaw database - built in partnership with Mallesons, and what it will take to drive systemic change for the 4.5 million+ people who are not recognised as citizens of any country in the world. CREDITS: Host: Clem Johnson Executive Producer & Editor: Pariya Taherzadeh Co-Producers: Clem Johnson, Tania Winlaw & Elise Perry Video Editor: Pariya Taherzadeh

Content warning: This episode contains discussions of child trauma and suicide. Every year in Australia, hundreds of thousands of concerns are raised about children's safety. In this episode, host Clem Johnson sits down with Dr. Katrina Lines, CEO of Act for Kids, and Emma Costello, Partner at Mallesons, to explore how organisations and law firms can go beyond funding to drive real change for children and families. They discuss trauma-informed care, centring children's voices, early intervention, and what genuine community partnership looks like in practice.

Hosts: Rod Smythe, Jonathan Grant and Lizzie Knight Summary: In this episode, Mallesons partners Rod, Jonathan and Lizzie discuss the current state of the energy M&A market, including deal trends, activity drivers and the regulatory overlay. Key topics discussed: mid-market processes becoming exclusive much earlier the sophisticated mechanisms being used to allocate risk between buyers and sellers how FIRB strategy is becoming a competitive differentiator in energy transactions where regulatory focus is intensifying — and practical approaches participants are taking to manage approval risk

What does it take to implement AI responsibly? In this episode of AI Now , host Bryony Evans is joined by Fernando Mourão, Head of Responsible AI at SEEK, alongside Mallesons partner Michael Swinson. Hear lessons from a leading organisation that has been building since 2019, including how to move beyond compliance-driven approaches and put people first in AI transformation. Key topics Moving beyond compliance (6:30) Setting the right pace for AI adoption (11:20) Don’t wait for regulation - focus on your AI systems (15:05) Guidance (including in Singapore and Australia) that can help (17:20) Inside SEEK’s responsible AI journey (18:45) Lifting AI governance maturity and enabling innovation (20:40)

In this episode of Power Perspectives , we discuss the evolving dynamics of Australia’s gas market across the east and west coasts. With gas playing a critical role in the energy transition—supporting renewables, ensuring system reliability, and underpinning export revenues—our panel explores key market developments, policy, pricing trends, and investment drivers shaping the sector. Key topics: East coast gas market: supply pressures and policy developments West coast gas market: balanced for now, tightening ahead Nationally, Australia faces a tightening gas market toward 2030, requiring sustained investment Domestic gas pricing, investment and project structuring trends

The obligation to act efficiently, honestly and fairly is increasingly shaping ASIC enforcement strategy. In this episode, host Nathan Hodge is joined by dispute resolution partners Amanda Engels and Damian Lovell to discuss how recent cases are expanding the obligation and what this means for financial institutions. Key topics discussed How ASIC is using efficiently, honestly and fairly in enforcement Governance and systems expectations from recent cases Cyber risk and scam prevention obligations Application beyond traditional financial services conduct The intersection with other obligations such as trustee duties under the SIS Act Practical implications for financial institutions

AI Now is back with Part 2 on AI’s impact for the workforce, and this time we hear about the widespread use and risks of AI‑driven performance and monitoring tools, Australia’s first AI-specific workplace safety laws, and why governance - particularly at board level following the Star decision – is a live issue. Employment law expert Cilla Robinson joins co-hosts Cheng Lim and Bryony Evans to talk about: When AI performance tools cross the line - including where ‘people are effectively being managed by an algorithm’ - and where they can add genuine value The three things boards should add to their next agenda Why it’s important to keep decision-making paper trails – and the tension between fast-moving technologists and lawyers What the new duty in NSW means and what to watch as SafeWork NSW guidance and consultation develops, including permit-holder right of entry to inspect these systems - as Cilla puts it, ‘your algorithm is now part of your work system in the same way as any other hazard that needs to be considered from a safety perspective’ And more!

In this episode, Peter Yeldham and Travis Toemoe examine, at an aggregate level, recent insurance coverage decisions for the Insurance Pocketbook 2026 . Their analysis reflects what the data reveals about insurance litigation trends and outcomes. Key topics discussed: Where insurance coverage disputes are being litigated Who is winning those disputes Which sectors and policies dominate the litigation landscape

We turn to one of the most live issues for organisations right now: AI and the workforce. Employment law expert Cilla Robinson joins AI Now co-hosts Cheng Lim and Bryony Evans to unpack what clients are dealing with right now. Key topics discussed in this episode : Why AI risk is often about work redesign, not mass job losses How algorithms are changing performance, monitoring and decision‑making Where employers are tripping up on consultation and oversight Why humans still need to stay firmly in the loop.

Hosts: Rob Smythe and Vishal Ahuja Summary: In this episode of Power Perspectives – ‘Offshore Wind in the Inland Sea’ - KWM partners Rod Smythe and Vishal Ahuja examine the proposed mega-scale Inland renewable energy zone in far western New South Wales and its potential role in the energy transition. They also discuss why Australia’s offshore wind ambitions are becoming less likely, facing rising costs and policy uncertainty. Key Topics Discussed: The outlook for offshore wind in Australia Cost pressures affecting renewable projects The proposed mega renewable energy zone development in western New South Wales – the ‘Inland REZ’ Transmission challenges and project sequencing The role of government in supporting large-scale projects Tune in to hear how large-scale onshore renewable projects may re-shape Australia’s energy transition and the policy and market considerations that will determine their success.

Duration: 7.31 Hosts: Peter Yeldham, King & Wood Mallesons and James Breese, Stewarts Law In this episode of the KWM Podcast, Disputes Partner Peter Yeldham is joined by James Breese, a Partner at Stewarts, for a comparative discussion on common interest privilege and how it operates across Australia and England. Key topics discussed: The difference between common interest privilege and joint privilege Waiver of legal professional privilege Labelling correspondence “common interest privilege” (and relying on the label) Considering the benefits of disclosure against the possibility of later disputes with third parties

Duration: 10:14 Hosts: Josh Thorneycroft and Craig Rogers Summary: In this episode of Power Perspectives, KWM Energy Partners Craig Rogers and Josh Thorneycroft discuss the drivers behind the shift were seeing in capital deployment in renewables and the increased use of capital partnering. In this episode they discuss: How these funding models create value for both sides for investors and developers Different joint development structures were seeing in the market and why we’re seeing them Avoiding the ugly path to disputes and deadlocks The key sign of a successful partnership Why these funding models are set to become more common Listen now and read more about the energy transition on the KWM website: Transitioning to Future Energy - KWM

AI developments are moving fast. In the first episode of our AI Now series, Cheng Lim and Bryony Evans break down Australia’s National AI Plan - what’s changing, what’s not and what it means for business. Key topics discussed The three pillars of the National AI Plan: infrastructure, sharing benefits and safety No new standalone AI laws - existing regulation still applies Workplace consultation and its impact on AI adoption Data centres, investment hurdles and practical challenges Steps for effective AI governance and privacy compliance Where ‘sovereign’ AI fits in and what to watch next

King & Wood Mallesons’ annual Class Actions in Australia report tracks the latest data and trends in Australia’s evolving litigation landscape. In this episode, Partners Suzy Madar and Peta Stevenson dive into a sector that has been a focal point or some of Australia’s most complex and high-profile class actions: health. In this episode they discuss: How technical, scientific expert evidence affects claims outcomes US vs Australia - similar claims, different risks and rewards Major cases in 2025: Roundup and Monash IVF What’s next for health class actions? Listen now and read the full report The Review: Class Actions in Australia 2024/2025 available here .