Government regulators in Australia have been cracking down on firms whose lawyers are doing what corporate lawyers around the world consider normal – working long hours.
In recent months, two of the nation’s top firms – King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) and Gilbert + Tobin – have been called out by state occupational health and safety regulators for allegedly overworking lawyers and staffers. At KWM, officials received reports saying that lawyers were working around the clock to meet punishing deadlines. At Gilbert + Tobin, complaints indicated lawyers were at risk because of intense fatigue from overwork and related drug use.
