Global pharmaceutical firm Pfizer is mulling an application to stay a lawsuit by Merck Sharp & Dohme seeking to invalidate a patent related to the blockbuster Prevnar 13 vaccine as it awaits the outcome of similar proceedings in the US.
A judge overseeing competing class actions against AMP over allegedly excessive superannuation fees has signed off on an agreement by two rival law firms to consolidate their cases, avoiding a potentially costly and drawn out beauty parade.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has lost a bid for the documents behind an Australian Federal Police warrant to search its headquarters, with a Federal Court judge criticising the media organisation for embarking on a “fishing expedition”.
The original solicitors who stepped down from leading a class action against Westpac unit BankSA amid abuse of process allegations will bring separate proceedings in the Federal Court seeking a bigger slice of the multi-million dollar settlement sum to cover their costs.
A senior partner at a Sydney-based law firm has denied he made a “deliberate decision” to withhold advice from a former client suing for alleged breach of duties and conflict of interest over a rejected $4.45 million settlement in an employment dispute with Westpac.
A group of media companies are appealing a groundbreaking defamation ruling that found they are liable for third-party comments made on their Facebook pages.
A judge has refused an application to suppress the identity of a franchisee giving evidence in two class actions against 7-Eleven despite the individual’s fears he may lose his franchising licence as retaliation by the global convenience store giant.
The Federal Court’s top judge has urged ASIC and ANZ to continue their “litigation good faith” in the corporate cop’s action over $35 million in allegedly illegal customer fees charged by the bank, and cautioned the two sides against slogging it out with a “staged trench warfare” mentality.
After defeating the corporate regulator’s case alleging it breached responsible lending laws, banking giant Westpac has won a reprieve from lodging a defence in a related class action.
A judge has sent insolvency firm Ferrier Hodgson back to the drawing board to redraft its pleadings against the former directors and auditors of collapsed construction company Forge Group, warning that the overlapping actions were at risk of becoming an “unrideable bull”.