From shifting trade policies to hybrid work shaping billable-hour efficiency, 2025 is already proving to be a year of big changes for a legal industry that never stands still. In this edition of the Dye & Durham Docket, we cover Australia’s criminalisation of wage theft, Canada’s looming trade dispute with the U.S., and a new survey revealing that most UK clients want 24/7 digital case access. Plus, legal experts in Ireland tackle an unexpected question: What do lawyers and hairdressers have in common? 

Our Innovation Toolbox spotlights a must-have tool for tracking legal news, and for a lighter touch, we round up some truly cringe-worthy lawyer blunders. Read on!

Industry news

82% billable-hour efficiency rate for hybrid work policies suggests that attorney efficiency peaks when return-to-office arrangements allow for remote work one to two days per week. Bloomberg Law’s Legal Trends report for 2025 examines the biggest challenges and questions in some of the fastest-growing areas of law, and the legal fields that will be most in demand in 2025.

Greenwashing, social washing, and now AI washing— learn about the latest frontier in misleading claims facing regulatory crackdowns.

Related: A new wave of investor lawsuits in the U.S. is taking aim at AI washing.

Global news

The Australian scene

Dentons highlights five pivotal 2024 court decisions, including a record AU$13.7 million penalty for wage underpayment, set to influence employment law and HR policies in 2025.

Did you know? On 1 January 2025, deliberate wage theft became a criminal offence in Australia, attracting prison sentences of up to 10 years and significant monetary penalties.

As the country prepares for federal elections, Lawyers Weekly examines the potential rollback of the recently enacted 'Right to Disconnect' laws and its impact on employees' ability to disengage from work communications outside office hours. 

What's up in Canada?

If the U.S. President moves forward with the proposed 25% tariffs on Canadian goods after the 30-day pause, Canada has signalled willingness to pursue legal action, arguing that the measures violate existing trade agreements.

Opinion: Challenges under U.S. law, the WTO, and CUSMA trade agreements are expected. While challenges under the trade agreements would likely succeed, their impact would be largely symbolic.

A recent Canadian Lawyer report highlights how inflation, cost-of-living pressures, and evolving workforce expectations are reshaping compensation for lawyers, in-house counsel, and support staff across Canada.

Related: 97% of managers in both corporate legal departments and law firms anticipate that compensation will rise in 2025, according to Robert Half's 2025 Canada Salary Guide.

The Irish market

Why Lawyers Are Just Like Hairdressers: At the Law Society's Future of Legal Practice summit, experts discussed how both professions rely heavily on human judgment, making them less susceptible to automation by AI technologies.

Family Law ─ A Royal London Ireland survey reveals that 89% of adults underestimate the financial value of stay-at-home parents, whose diverse responsibilities are valued at over €57,000 per year.

The scene in South Africa

South Africa rejected the U.S. President’s accusations regarding its recently signed Expropriation Act, which permits the government to expropriate land to address racial disparities in land ownership post-apartheid.

The Department of Employment and Labour recently introduced a Draft Code of Good Practice on Dismissal for public comment, providing clearer guidelines on fair dismissal procedures and operational requirements. Here's a review of the most significant changes.

What's up in the UK?

A recent YouGov survey of UK adults, commissioned by the Law Society for Chancery Lane’s bicentenary, revealed that 60% of respondents believe digital platforms offering 24/7 access to their cases would enhance their overall experience.

Related: The timing of the survey, along with its findings, has sparked sharp criticism from some legal practitioners.

    Dye & Durham in action

Our UK team was delighted to sponsor and participate in the 2025 Conveyancing Association Conference, where our Director of Product, Mark Hailwood, joined a panel discussion on the role of AI in conveyancing and how generative AI is shaping the future of Conveyancing 2030.

Innovation Toolbox

Feedly is a powerful RSS feed reader that helps you stay on top of industry news, trends, and updates by curating content from multiple sources into a personalized, easy-to-navigate feed. It’s perfect for legal professionals who need to track the latest case law, regulatory changes, or news across a wide variety of legal topics.

What we like: Feedly’s clean interface and customizable boards and categories make it easy to organize content, ensuring that your most relevant updates are front and center. The platform’s AI-powered “Leo” can even prioritize articles based on your interests, filtering out noise and presenting only the most relevant content. Plus, Feedly’s mobile apps for Android and iOS let you stay connected to your subscriptions anytime, whether at home or on the go.

What could be better: The free version lets you follow up to 100 sources (which is usually plenty for casual readers.) To track more, you’ll need to upgrade to the paid Pro or Pro+ levels. Paid plans unlock features like advanced content filtering, feed searches, newsletter integration, and the ability to highlight and annotate articles.

Potential uses for legal professionals: Feedly can help you stay updated on regulatory changes, new case law, or industry news. It’s also a great tool for keeping tabs on industry leaders or competitor moves without having to visit multiple websites.

New to RSS readers? An RSS (Really Simple Syndication) reader gathers content from multiple sources into one central place, making it easier to access the information you need without constantly switching apps or scrolling endlessly. Learn more.

A lighter note

From courtroom etiquette fails to email blunders, lawyers share their most embarrassing moments; proof that even the pros have their slip-ups.

Thank you for reading this edition of the Dye & Durham Docket. See you next month.

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Disclaimer: The recommendations featured in this newsletter are intended to provide insights about various technologies in the legal field solely for information purposes. Dye & Durham does not endorse any of these technologies and encourages our readers to conduct their own due diligence and obtain expert advice before using or buying any technology. Dye & Durham makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided in this newsletter and has no liability, directly or indirectly, to you or any other person, relating to the furnishing of this information or any use thereof.