Barristers

An appeals court has found that an unpaid present entitlement to a corporate beneficiary is not a loan under tax law, upending the ATO’s longstanding practice of treating UPEs as part of a trustee's assessable income.

GM has foreshadowed a strike-out application in a class action over alleged faulty transmissions in Holden vehicles, but a judge has warned he won't "take kindly" to pleading spats.

John Gorton Developments has been ordered to pay $1 million into court amid a spat with Chase Construction, with a judge noting building policy objectives favoured a 'pay now, fight later' system.

A newly appointed judge has disqualified himself from hearing a group of cases over Greensill’s $1.7 billion collapse, after he acted as counsel for insurer Marsh in a related dispute. 

A judge has warned the lawyers for the owners of the City Mutual Building in Sydney's CBD about failing to comply with court directions, saying their "inexcusable" delay in providing evidence could not be forgiven just because it was a compulsory acquisition matter.

US drug maker Allergan may defend a class action over recalled textured breast implants by arguing its knowledge of the alleged defects was limited by the state of scientific knowledge at the time the products were made.

Payments processing company EML has won more time to respond to a new pleading in a shareholder class action over its alleged failure to disclose Ireland central bank’s concerns with its anti-money laundering compliance.

Australia’s largest brick manufacturer Brickworks has dropped a central claim in its competition lawsuit against a rival founded by billionaire Len Buckeridge. 

Wine producer Accolade has won a dispute with Pernod Ricard over interim arrangements to distribute wine after it bought the French winemaker’s Australian and New Zealand businesses.

Building company Icon is fighting developer Citta’s application to vacate the hearing of its claim to $1.2 million for consulting work on a Victorian state project, rejecting the developer’s claim it was ambushed by a new defence.