As the knives come out in a contest between four law firms battling to run an $80 million class action against Star Entertainment, a court-appointed barrister has named his favourites – one of which has proposed a contingency fee of just 14 per cent.
Three firms fighting for carriage of a $80 million class action against Star Entertainment say a group costs order would guard against ‘costs blowouts’ in the case and have urged a judge to ditch a no win, no fee proposal brought by fourth-to-file firm Shine Lawyers.
Hannover Life Re should be allowed tax credits for GST paid on a share of its overheads, including rent and power, a judge has found in a partial win for the reinsurer.
Westpac, Macquarie and ANZ are seeking class closure orders ahead of mediation in three class actions over flexible commissions schemes, telling a court hearing they will be “completely at sea” without a better idea of the class size.
A judge has ordered MLC to pay $10 million for its “serious failure” to pay life insurance benefits to customers undergoing rehabilitation, in an ASIC case that also alleged the insurer failed to promptly update medical terms in policies.
MLC has agreed to cop a $10 million penalty for admitted breaches of the Corporations Act in an ASIC case that alleged the insurer failed to promptly update medical terms in policies and withheld payment of a life insurance benefit.
Seven Network has dropped its lawsuit accusing Cricket Australia of breaching their media rights agreement, after reportedly reaching a new five-year agreement with the sports league.
Following the lead of its Victorian counterpart, the NSW Supreme Court has found that law firm Atanaskovic Hartnell cannot recover costs in self-represented litigation against a former client over unpaid legal invoices.
A judge hearing a contract dispute between Seven Network and Cricket Australia has knocked the sporting body’s defence, in which it argues that Seven’s pleadings are ‘vague and embarrassing’, expressing his “growing frustration” with the phrase.
An appeals court has refused a bid by Bianca Rinehart and John Hancock to block an arbitrator from deciding a long-running dispute over valuable mining assets, despite his wife having acted for Gina Rinehart in related proceedings.