The high-stakes contest to run a shareholder class action against BHP has begun, with lawyers for three competing cases all arguing in Federal Court Monday that there can be only one winner.
A judge has granted Cargill Australia’s request to call a King & Wood Mallesons solicitor that represented Viterra as a witness in the epic trial over the $420 million sale of Viterra’s Joe White business to Cargill in 2013.
Viterra is blaming several former employees for representations made about malt quality in the lead-up to the $420 million sale of its Joe White business to Cargill Australia in 2013.
BHP Billiton is facing the possibility of a second shareholder class action over the Fundao dam failure at its mine in Brazil, but the cases may be put on hold pending the outcome of homicide charges against company employees.