David Pritchard

A judge has called the conduct of the director of property group Vantager “breathtaking” in its “brazen dishonesty” after he misappropriated $33 million from a $45 million property sale with the help from his accountant.

A judge has found that the former liquidator of developer North Shore did not rely on an appraisal of a residential block in settling a dispute over the alleged uncommercial sale of four units in a Lane Cove development, despite finding it was likely not a genuine document. 

The Full Federal Court has found that Telstra can be sued for a former employee’s alleged sexual harassment of his neighbours, finding  harassment that is part of a private dispute may also occur in the course of providing services.

A judge overseeing two 7-Eleven class actions has signed off on $2.25 million in costs incurred by the funder and lawyers in their pitched battle to win approval for the terms of a $98 million settlement, which included deductions of more than $44 million to cover commission and fees.

A judge has approved a $12 million payment to the funder of two franchisee class actions against 7-Eleven, even as the funder plans to appeal a decision rejecting its bid for a common fund order for a $24.5 million commission.

A judge has blessed a law firm’s $16.6 million legal bill for running two franchisee class actions against 7-Eleven despite a contradictor’s argument that it had a “troubling” practice of deferring its fees to benefit the funder that bankrolled the cases. 

The High Court killed off all common fund orders, not just the kind sought at the start of a class action, a judge has said as he cut in half the payout for a litigation funder bankrolling two franchisee class actions against 7-Eleven.

The principal of a law firm running a class action against retirement home provider Aveo Group has agreed not to drop in on residents without giving the company notice.

A judge has declined to approve an amended opt-out notice featuring a video from a silk further explaining a "confusing" opt-out notice sent to group members in a class action against retirement home provider Aveo Group that has led to 400 opt-outs.

A judge has found that Telstra cannot be held liable for the sexually harassing conduct of a former employee who allegedly accessed confidential contact information to launch a four-year campaign of harassment against his next-door neighbours.