Samuel Murray

The court battle between APAC and major shareholder Dexus over the sale of an investor's stake in the airport operator went to a hearing this week, but it's the solicitors representing the warring parties that found themselves on trial.

A senior in-house lawyer at Dexus has rejected suggestions she was “careless” in her role in the sale of shares in Melbourne Airport operator APAC, saying she relied on a subordinate lawyer and others within the business. 

Lawyers assured two Dexus executives that it was OK to share the confidential information of Melbourne Airport operator APAC with proposed purchasers of the real estate asset manager's stake in the company, a court has heard.

A judge has threatened to vacate the trial in Dexus’ case against Melbourne Airport operator APAC after all the defendants tried to file documents late, suggesting the lawyers may be hit with personal costs orders.

Questioning of the first witness in Dexus' case against Melbourne Airport's operator was an hour in when trial was halted by the judge, who complained of flying by the seat of his pants, documentary evidence-wise.

Israel-based Smart Trike is seeking to withdraw its admission that it supplied noncompliant convertible strollers to the Australian market in a fight with distributor Target over a recall of the products. 

A judge has refused to bifurcate a dispute between Smart Trikes and Target over the supply and eventual recall of allegedly unsafe convertible strollers, finding any time and cost savings were likely to prove illusory. 

Real estate asset manager Dexus wants information that the Asia Pacific Airport Corporation gave to several consultants in a court battle over allegations it breached a shareholder deed in selling a stake in the airport operator. 

S&P has reached a settlement in a case by two Cayman Island companies over alleged defective ratings but a class action won’t settle until “hell freezes over,” a court has heard.

The applicant in a suit against S&P over alleged defective ratings can tweak its pleadings ahead of a June trial, with a judge rejecting S&P’s argument the changes introduce a new case.