Grant Donaldson

Australia's richest person Gina Rinehart could be on the hook for millions of dollars in royalty payments, in a long-running battle over lucrative iron ore mining tenements in Western Australia's Pilbara region.

Mining magnate Gina Rinehart is on the hook for royalties payable to the heirs of iron ore pioneers Don Rhodes and Peter Wright, a judge has held in a long-running battle over lucrative tenements in the Pilbara region.

A Western Australian local council left the court in a “less than ideal position” in failing to fully participate in a dispute over the rejection of a development extension sought by Woolworths' property arm, a judge has said.

Gold exploration company Zuleika Gold has to produce a draft technical report to Vango Mining as it seeks "significant damages' over a repudiated joint venture agreement, with a judge finding an affidavit from its solicitor put the report squarely in issue. 

A senior barrister who was ordered to provide itemised bills to explain four invoices totalling $800,000 has avoided a contempt of court finding, with a judge saying he was not satisfied the silk failed to comply with the orders and that if the extent of the itemisation were inadequate this was not the result of "disobedience".

The corporate regulator has lost its civil case against Frank Wilson, the founder of sandalwood oil producer Quintis, after failing to persuade the Federal Court he withheld from the board the termination of major supply contracts with a Nestle unit.

A judge has vacated an upcoming trial in shareholder class actions against former Quintis director Frank Wilson and Ernst & Young, after learning judgment in similar ASIC proceedings against Wilson will not be delivered before the class action hearing kicks off.

A shareholder class action against Ernst & Young over its alleged inflation of assets owned by sandalwood producer Quintis has argued the accounting firm should be allowed only one expert witness, who should collaborate with a competing expert chosen by the investors.

A judge has allowed a key US-based witness in ASIC's case against former Quintis director Frank Wilson who will not submit to 14 days in hotel quarantine to give evidence by video link.

In a defeat to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, a judge has found a key witness in the trial against former Quintis director Frank Wilson must give evidence in person, delaying the hearing indefinitely until coronavirus-related travel restrictions are lifted.