lauren southern holding a microphone
Lauren Southern pictured at a rally in 2018 (Image: AAP/Jeremy Ng)

No Juan saw this coming HWL Ebsworth bills itself as “not your typical law firm”. And the pandemic has proved just that.

While the legal sector adapted to a new world of remote working, the firm resolutely stuck to its culture of toxic presentee-ism, forcing employees to keep coming in, with work from home requests assessed on a case by case basis. Managing partner Juan Martinez said the firm would not be “blindly following the lead of others like lemmings”.

Now, Australia’s biggest legal partnership is paying the price -- six cases have been linked to its Melbourne office.