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A judge has signed off on a settlement in two shareholder class actions against clothing retailer Surfstitch, but has capped the legal costs and commissions sought by the litigation funders after finding the law firms behind the cases sent out notices to group members that were "misleading" and "understated" the risks of joining the class.
The lead applicants in a $100 million class action against Gladstone Ports Corporation have lost their bid to shield an expert loss report from being revealed in an upcoming mediation.
A judge has approved a $9.5 million settlement in a class action against McMillan Shakespeare as fair and reasonable, allowing a common fund order and a nearly 30 percent commission for the litigation funder despite previously raising "real concerns" about the small portion flowing to group members.
The funder behind a class action against McMillan Shakespeare has warned against the court beating it up like a 'pinata' in a settlement approval hearing in which the judge expressed "real concerns" about the portion of a $9.5 million settlement earmarked for group members.
Payouts in class actions in 2020 largely kept pace with the previous year despite the financial strain of the COVID-19 pandemic, with companies and other defendants paying more than $696 million to settle class actions last year.
A judge will appoint an independent barrister to determine the allocation of settlement proceeds between insured group members and their insurers from two St Patrick's Day bushfire class actions, finding that the 'overly combative' conduct of law firm Maddens warranted the appointment despite the extra costs involved.
A judge has found that a litigation funder's involvement in settlement negotiations without the presence of the applicant's lawyers in a shareholder class action against Spotless Group, which recently settled for $95 million, was "inappropriate".
A Victoria Supreme Court judge hearing two competing class actions against Allianz Australia over "junk" insurance has asked the parties for feedback on what she should consider at a hearing on a request for a group costs order, which would allow the plaintiff lawyers to earn a cut of any settlement or judgment, the first such request made since Victoria legalised contingency fees.
Shareholders who lost a Federal Court trial in their class action against engineering company Worley are challenging the decision to dismiss the case.
A judge has sided with Worley in a ruling tossing a class action after a trial alleged the engineering company misled shareholders and breached disclosure rules by issuing an overly positive earnings guidance of $322 million for the 2014 financial year.