Cindy Cameronne

Google has hit back at a class action alleging it abused its dominance in the digital advertising market, saying that publishers are able to, and often do, develop their own ad tech tools or rely on competing third-party solutions.

A judge has approved a $550 million settlement in a class action over the Morrison government’s Robodebt scheme but has halved a funder’s payout to $35 million, despite arguments that it was unprecedented to award a single digit percentage commission. 

Baggage handling company Alstef Australia says the operator of Brisbane Airport is not entitled to call on $13.4 million in bank guarantees, claiming it is owed $32 million in a dispute over a baggage system upgrade at the airport’s domestic terminal.

The funder that backed a class action over the Morrison government’s Robodebt scheme, which settled for a record $548.5 million, is seeking a $71 million commission, but a contradictor has told the court a $23 million cut will suffice.

Logistics company Brambles has lost its bid to pause costs orders while it prepares an appeal of the first post-trial win for a shareholder class action, while also flagging a bid to stay determination of group member claims.

Under pressure from parliamentary committee members, KPMG said late Friday it would waive privilege and hand over investigation reports from Allens and Ashurst, after initially resisting orders for documents.

ASIC’s chair says the corporate cop is investigating individuals at KPMG for alleged misuse of confidential information belonging to Lendlease and Optus to win new work, but says it is hamstrung by current law from undertaking a broader probe. 

A senator has criticised KPMG for claiming a commitment to transparency while also maintaining legal professional privilege over advice from Allens and Ashurst into the alleged misuse of confidential information.

Facing the hotseat over KPMG's treatment of a whisteblower, the accounting giant's former CEO Andrew Yates told a parliamentary committee hearing on Friday he took accountability and was not a "bad apple".

Lendlease chair John Gillam has said the company's board was “deeply discontented” with KPMG’s alleged misuse of its confidential information but was stuck with the accounting firm until the end of the financial year.