Mallesons Podcasts
Welcome to Mallesons' podcast channel. Here you can browse and listen to all our content - the latest cases, legal issues, market trends and insights from our practice groups, conversational deep dives with our people, our clients and our community partners. Enjoy!
Quantum and Australia’s advantage: Capturing value in the next tech revolution
Quantum technology is rapidly shifting from scientific theory to commercial reality, and Australia has a unique opportunity to turn its research strengths into global economic leadership.
In this opening keynote for the Mallesons Digital Future Summit 2026, Dr Cathy Foley AO PSM - Australia’s former Chief Scientist and a leading voice in quantum innovation - outlines what it takes to transform breakthroughs into commercial advantage.
This session goes beyond the hype to bring clarity on where meaningful growth and competitive edge may emerge over the next decade.
Speakers:
• Dr Cathy Foley AO PSM...
The ACCC’s digital enforcement agenda
ACCC Commissioner Luke Woodward shares his perspective on competition and consumer issues arising in the digital landscape, and how the ACCC proposes to tackle them. Against a background of fast-paced change as well as new features in the enforcement toolkit, the discussion will examine where the ACCC is focusing its attention and what these shifts mean for businesses that operate online.
Speakers:
• Commissioner Luke Woodward, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
• Tamara Hunter, Partner, Mallesons
• Jennifer Barron, Partner, Mallesons
Resources:
Mallesons Digital Future Summit
Mallesons Data and Tech insights
Regulation, rigor...
Online safety and accountability: What businesses need to know
Online safety has become a mainstream business issue. As digital platforms and connected services play a larger role in everyday life, regulatory expectations around safety, trust and accountability continue to develop and have significant implications for an ever-expanding range of digital businesses.
In this session, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant talks about the next phase of online safety regulation and what it means for organisations operating in a more highly scrutinised digital environment. The discussion will touch on Australia’s world-first minimum age requirements for social media platforms, the implementation of new online safety codes, the government’s co...
Privacy, cyber & the courtroom: What's next for Australian business
Major cyber and data incidents now trigger a widening set of consequences, including regulator action, complex litigation including class actions, and reputational fallout. Organisations are increasingly judged on how well they anticipate and respond.
Our panel unpacks the fast-evolving disputes landscape at the intersection of privacy, cyber incidents, regulatory enforcement, and class actions. Her Honour Justice Kate Richardson, barrister Nicholas De Young KC and Mallesons litigators explore:
• where claims are developing, and what new claims are expected to emerge from recent law reform
• what is driving regulator action and plaintiff activity in Australia, and
• the pr...
AI and complex decision-making: The next shift in business
Artificial intelligence is reshaping how businesses understand and prepare for rapidly evolving local and international events an increasingly complex operating environment.
Drawing on Anthea Roberts’ work on AI complex decision-making and the future shape of professional services, the discussion will examine the interaction between technology, strategy, business models, and the enduring role of professional judgment. We unpack practical examples of how AI is being used to achieve clarity and cut through for complex decision making within a business.
An insightful session for leaders thinking beyond short-term and singular-lens scenario planning who are grappling with how to...
Smarter machines, wiser leaders: Navigating the next decade of work
AI is moving from experimentation to embedded workflow. But with new opportunities for productivity and innovation, come important questions about workforce design, governance, skills, safety, employee wellbeing and the role of human judgment.
In this fireside chat, Scientia Professor Toby Walsh will explore how AI is likely to reshape workplaces and the broader economy. Drawing on his work on the intersection of AI, industry and public policy, you will learn how leaders can harness AI responsibly, build workplace capability and create sustainable value.
This session brings practical insights into how organisations can adapt with confidence...
Competing in a fragmented world: Building resilience and capturing value in the AI era
The next wave of AI and emerging technology promises productivity gains but the conditions for realising them are becoming more complex. In a more contested and constrained global environment, technology strategy can no longer be separated from geopolitics or policy settings.
This session brings together leading economic and geopolitical perspectives to unpack:
• where risks are rising
• where opportunities remain and are emerging, and
• how organisations can build resilience and advantage in a more fragmented digital world.
Dr Stephen King (Productivity Commission), Dr Merriden Varrall (VantageGeopol) and Cameron Mitchell (ANZ) examine how AI, data...
Managing cyber risk in an increasingly uncertain world
Cyber risk is intensifying as organisations navigate a complex and fast-moving threat landscape, shaped by rapid advancements in frontier AI and continuing geopolitical tension.
Bringing together government and industry perspectives, this session will explore how threats are evolving and the government's agenda for protecting critical infrastructure and strengthening resilience across the economy. Hear directly from Hamish Hansford, Head of National Security at the Department of Home Affairs, on the Government's Consultation Paper on streamlining and modernising the SOCI Act.
Get the clarity and insight needed to navigate frontier AI-driven cyber threats and a tightening regulatory...
Directions 2026: The forces driving Australian business
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 A...From AI experiment to impact with Quantium: AI Now Episode 5
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...
Gender, Identity at work
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 Pr...
Fewer filings, higher stakes: The Review: Class Actions in Australia 2025/2026
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 filingsWhy settlement values remain highKey developments in shareholder class actions, including Brambles and WorleyGrowing overlap between class actions and regulatory actionsDevelopments in litigation...D&O policies in Australia and England: Erosion, Allocation, Exclusion and Notification
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 Microsoft is scaling legal with AI: AI Now Episode 4
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…
From Evidence to Action on Statelessness
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:
Listening to Children, Strengthening Systems
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.
Key drivers of the energy M&A market: Power Perspectives Episode 8
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 earlierthe sophisticated mechanisms being used to allocate risk between buyers and sellershow FIRB strategy is becoming a competitive differentiator in energy transactionswhere regulatory focus is intensifying — and practical approaches participants are taking to manage approval riskResponsible AI in practice with SEEK: AI Now Episode 3
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 SEE...Inside Australia’s East and West Coast Gas Markets: Power Perspectives Episode 7
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 aheadNationally, Australia faces a tightening gas market toward 2030, requiring sustained investmentDomestic gas pricing, investment and project structuring trendsFS Reg Room Episode 7: Unpacking 'Efficiently, Honestly and Fairly’
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 enforcementGovernance and systems expectations from recent casesCyber risk and scam prevention obligationsApplication beyond traditional financial services conductThe intersection with other obligations such as trustee duties under the SIS ActPractical implications for financial institutionsManaging risks in the modern workplace (Part 2): AI Now Episode 2
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 valueThe three things boards...Insurance Pocketbook 2026: Trends and market insights in coverage disputes
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 litigatedWho is winning those disputesWhich sectors and policies dominate the litigation landscapeManaging risks in the modern workplace (Part 1): AI Now Episode 2
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 lossesHow algorithms are changing performance, monitoring and decision‑makingWhere employers are tripping up on consultation and oversightWhy humans still need to stay firmly in the loop.Offshore Wind in the Inland Sea: Power Perspectives Episode 6
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 AustraliaCost pressures affecting renewable projectsThe proposed mega renewable energy zone development in western...Navigating common interest privilege across the UK and Australia
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 privilegeWaiver 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...The rise of JD structures in renewable energy: Power Perspectives Episode 5
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 developersDifferent joint development structures were seeing in the market and why we’re seeing themAvoiding the ugly path to disputes and deadlocksThe key sign of a successful part...Australia's AI Plan: AI Now Episode 1
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 safetyNo new standalone AI laws - existing regulation still appliesWorkplace consultation and its impact on AI adoptionData centres, investment hurdles and practical challengesSteps for effective AI governance and privacy complianceWhere ‘sovereign’ AI fits in and what to watch nextPulse Check: Class Actions in Health Sector Alive and Well
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 outcomesUS vs Australia - similar claims, different risks and rewardsMajor cases in 2025: Roundup and Monash IVFWhat’s next for health class actions?Listen now and read the full report The Review...
FS Reg Room Episode 5: Investment platforms
This episode examines the regulatory and governance developments shaping investment platforms, and the Shield and First Guardian failures. Partners Nathan Hodge and Stephen Jaggers discuss the evolution of IDPS and superannuation platforms, key structural differences, and the emerging regulatory expectations influencing how these products are designed, governed and monitored.
Key topics discussed
How platforms developed and why they remain adviser-drivenDifferences between IDPS and superannuation governance obligationsFallout from Shield and First Guardian and the focus on menu oversightDue diligence, conflicts and DDO considerationsGrowth of managed accounts and exposure to alternative assetsFS Reg Room Episode 6: Crypto investment offerings
Crypto is moving into a more structured regulatory environment across global markets. In this episode, host Nathan Hodge is joined by Urszula McCormack and Cindy Shek to discuss the fundamentals of digital assets, the rise of spot ETFs and other fund structures, and the maturing regulatory frameworks developing in Hong Kong, the US and Australia.
Key topics discussed
How crypto is defined and usedSpot ETFs, crypto funds and product innovationGlobal regulatory approachesAML reforms and ASIC guidanceConsiderations for managers seeking crypto exposureNew Exposures: The Evolution of Privacy Class Actions
King & Wood Mallesons’ annual Class Actions in Australia report charts the latest record-breaking trends in Australia’s evolving litigation landscape.
In this episode, Partners Michael Swinson and Peta Stevenson breakdown how privacy class actions are changing in Australia.
In this episode they discuss:
The rise of privacy class actionsHow the Privacy Act reforms are paving the way to new claimsSerious invasions of privacy stealing headlinesThe OAIC’s promised aggressive approachListen now and read the full report The Review: Class Actions in Australia 2024/2025 available here.
Partnering to Address Complex Mental Health
This episode dives into the intersection of business, law, community, and society, focusing on complex mental health in the workplace. Special guest Rachel Green brings her lived experience and leadership perspective as CEO of SANE Australia, one of the nation’s leading mental health advocacy organizations.
Key Topics Discussed:
Brickworks and Soul Patts: Underneath the ‘top-hat’
In this episode of the It’s Public podcast, Daniel Natale sits down with David Friedlander, Jennifer Cheung and Rob Kelly to discuss the landmark $14 billion Brickworks–Soul Patts merger - a deal that ended more than half a century of cross-ownership. The conversation explores how the parties found valuation common ground in a scrip-for-scrip transaction, and how capital markets stepped up to support the deal.
They discuss:
The history of the cross-shareholding and how it endured for more than five decades (despite criticism for limiting transparency and shareholder value)The 2025 merger itself and the innovative ‘top ha...What’s Driving Australian Business in 2025? KWM Directions Survey Results
Duration: 27 minutes
Presenters:
Meredith Paynter (Partner, Mergers and Acquisitions)Rhys Casey (Partner, Mergers and Acquisitions)Lizzie Knight (Partner, Mergers and AcquisitionsJason Watts (Partner, Mergers and Acquisitions)Overview:
The authors of the KWM Directions 2025 Report, Meredith Paynter, Rhys Casey, Lizzie Knight and Jason Watts, delve into the latest findings on what is ‘top of mind’ for Australian businesses. This episode is packed with insights on how Australian directors and senior business leaders are thinking about the adoption of AI, corporate culture and tackling red tape.
To read more...
Indonesia’s maturing public-private partnership framework
Duration: 12.41
Host: Sam Farrands, KWM Head of Projects
Guest: Serafina Muryanti, ABNR, Indonesia
Summary:
Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are fuelling Indonesia’s infrastructure growth across sectors including transport, telecommunications, water, healthcare and more.
KWM’s Head of Projects, Sam Farrands, speaks with Serafina Muryanti, Partner at leading Indonesian law firm ABNR, about the country’s evolving PPP landscape and the opportunities it presents for foreign investors.
Key topics:
The growing role of PPPs in Indon...Class Actions in Australia 2024/2025
King & Wood Mallesons’ annual Class Actions in Australia report has become a defining source of insight into Australia’s evolving litigation landscape.
In this episode, Partners Moira Saville and Peta Stevenson unpack the major findings from the 2024/25 Review, exploring the record numbers, landmark judgments and emerging risks shaping class action activity nationwide.
In this episode they discuss:
The story behind this year’s record filings and settlementsThe High Court’s role in redefining class closure powers and funding modelsThe growing reach of privacy and employment claimsWhat recent judgments mean for governance, disclosure and executive accountabi...Queensland's Energy Roadmap 2025: Power Perspectives Episode 4
Hosts: Tim Sumner, Adam Black
Duration: 18.25
Summary: In this episode of Power Perspectives, KWM Energy partners Tim Sumner and Adam Black delve into the recently released Queensland Energy Roadmap. They explore what this roadmap means for the Queensland energy market and the opportunities it presents for clients and stakeholders.
Key Topics Discussed:
Overview of the Queensland Energy Roadmap: Understanding the Plan's focus on affordability, reliability, and sustainability and the changes the 2025 Roadmap makes from the 2022 Queensland Energy and Jobs PlanEnergy...What do the 2035 climate targets mean for the energy sector: Power Perspectives Episode 3
In this episode of Power Perspectives, KWM’s Energy Partners Rod Smythe, Vishal Ahuja and Shirley Cheng unpack Australia’s newly proposed 2035 climate targets and what they mean for the energy sector.
Drawing on insights from a recent KWM Energy Insight Series event featuring Matt Kean, Chair of the Climate Change Authority, and Nevenka Codevelle, CEO of ASL, the discussion explores the practical challenges of achieving a 62–70% emissions reduction from 2005 levels and the scale of the transition required to meet those goals.
Key Topics Discussed
How Australi...Vietnam’s new personal data protection law
Duration: 22.29
Host: Katherine Ke, KWM Register Foreign Lawyer
Guest: Duong Thi Mai Huong, Frasers Law Company Partner, Vietnam
Summary:
Vietnam is changing how personal data is protected. The new law, effective from January 2026, will affect local and foreign businesses.
In the latest episode of KWM’s View from Asia, Katherine Ke and Duong Thi Mai Huong unpack the new rules and what they mean for anyone doing business in Vietnam. They discuss the scope of the law, what counts as consent, who...
Asia’s evolving investment landscape — and Australia’s place in it
Hosts: Nicola Yeomans (Mallesons Partner & Co-Head of Private Capital) and Will Heath (Mallesons Partner)
Duration: [16:38]
Summary:
Asian capital is increasingly shaping Australia’s biggest deals. In this episode of Mallesons' View from Asia, Nicola Yeomans and Will Heath share insights from the AFR Asia Summit — exploring inbound investment trends, key sectors and the regulatory landscape.
They discuss why Japanese, Singaporean and other Asian investors are active in Australia, the growing role of Singapore as a financial hub, and how intra-Asia investment is expanding. Regulatory developments and sector hots...
