A judge has appointed provisional liquidators to investment firm Mayfair 101 and has banned director James Mawhinney from transferring any assets out of Australia, after the corporate regulator told the court Mawhinney could face criminal charges.
Australia’s corporate watchdog has lost its bid to obtain Ashurst’s advice to Australia and New Zealand Banking Group about potentially illegal bank fees “for now”, but a judge has signalled that this may not be the end of the matter.
A court has appointed provisional liquidators to the IPO Wealth Group, rejecting claims by the firm’s sole director that the move would severely damage his reputation and that of the wider Mayfair group.
The embattled founder of Mayfair 101 investment group has denied allegations that its $80 million IPO Wealth fund is a failed Ponzi scheme as he fights the appointment of a provisional liquidator to the fund.
Already facing action by the corporate regulator for alleged misleading and deceptive conduct and a potential class action, investment firm Mayfair 101 must now defend a lawsuit by former Liberal senator Julian McGauran, who is demanding the return of his $1 million investment.
The competition regulator wants the High Court to hear its challenge to Pacific National’s $205 million acquisition of Aurizon’s Acacia Ridge Terminal in Queensland, saying the deal would entrench the rail freight carrier’s near monopoly on the east coast of Australia.
Ashurst notified Australia and New Zealand Banking Group almost a decade ago about issues relating to its illegal fees, ASIC has told the Federal Court as it fights for documents from the law firm.
Investment group Mayfair 101 has denied claims by ASIC that it has engaged in misleading or deceptive advertising of its Platinum products, saying in a response to the regulator’s case the products were aimed at sophisticated investors who were told of the risks.
ASIC has launched a bid to gain access to legal advice provided by Ashurst to Australia and New Zealand Banking Group in the regulator’s case over $35 million in allegedly illegal bank fees.
The Federal Court has granted ASIC a legal win against Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, finding that its small business loan contracts were unfair and created a “significant imbalance” that was likely to detriment customers.