Ruth Higgins

Having lost a challenge to privatisation agreements by NSW Ports, the competition regulator wants to intervene in a High Court appeal by Mayfield Developments, which failed in its own case against the port authority.

The competition regulator is seeking to intervene in Mayfield Development's appeal to the High Court in a case the developer says could have "startling" consequences.

In the first-ever civil penalty proceedings for breaches of the Privacy Act, pathology services provider Australian Clinical Labs has been ordered to pay $5.8 million over a 2022 data breach that compromised the sensitive personal information of 223,000 customers of its Medlab business.

Mayfield Developments has argued the High Court should overturn a finding that NSW Ports was protected by derivative Crown immunity in entering allegedly uncompetitive agreements to privatise two ports, saying the decision could have “startling” consequences such as allowing the state to devise cartel arrangements.

The trustee for shareholders that want to retain their Dexus-managed stake in Australia Pacific Airports Corporation can't be separately represented from the selling group, a judge has ruled in a case that pits APAC's investors against each other.

In the first penalty to be handed down for breaches of the Privacy Act, pathology services provider Australian Clinical Labs has agreed to cop a $5.8 million fine over a 2022 data breach that compromised the personal information of 223,000 customers of its Medlab business.

Piper Alderman claims a judge erred in finding there was no evidence that an agreement between Maurice Blackburn and Phi Finney McDonald to cooperate in running an ad tech class action against Google was struck for an anti-competitive purpose.

Santos has failed to convince a judge that it should not provide documents relied on by NOPSEMA to approve the company’s environmental plan for its Reindeer gas field in judicial review proceedings.

Maurice Blackburn has proposed expanding the group definition in class actions against Hyundai and Kia over allegedly defective anti-lock braking systems after winning a carriage fight against a proceeding that included additional recalls in its group membership. 

A judge has put off deciding what damages group members are owed in two class actions against Apple and Google after finding the tech companies engaged in anti-competitive conduct in the app marketplace.