James Hutton

Law firm Allen & Overy advised that there were “very serious problems” with awarding Keybridge’s former CEO Nicholas Bolton a $4.75 million bonus, a judge has heard.

A judge has allowed a 50 per cent fee uplift for counsel in an epic fight over lucrative tenements in the Pilbara region, but says the hourly fees of solicitors from the likes of Allens, Clayton Utz and Corrs were already well above market rate.

Former Keybridge CEO Nicholas Bolton has faced questions about a $4.75 million bonus he was paid on a $17.8 million deal with fund manager Magellan, on the second day of trial in proceedings by WAM over two transactions its alleges were oppressive to shareholders.

Environmental activist group Lock the Gate has lost its case which aimed to block Tamboran B2's gas exploration project in the Northern Territory's Beetaloo basin.

A judge has rejected Hall & Wilcox's bid to narrow the terms of the court's inquiry into whether legal advice it provided to defunct construction group Hastie was reasonable, before a costs assessor weighs in on the firm's $18.6 million legal bill. 

Engineering firm Clough Projects Australia has lost its challenge to a judge's decision that stayed a $55 million cross-claim against former EnergyConnect joint venture partner Elecnor but kept Elecnor's case alive.

A Shine Lawyers-run class action over norovirus outbreaks on the Sun Princess cruise ship is cutting two of eight cruises from its case, a change set to affect up to 2,000 group members.

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.

Liquidators for defunct construction group Hastie have launched a bid in its Federal Court case against Hall & Wilcox to refer a $18.6 million bill from the law firm to a costs assessor.