Merivale will fork over $18 million in a proposed settlement to resolve an employment class action against the hospitality giant, of which $8.6 million is sought to be deducted in legal fees and a funder’s commission.
Qantas has been hit with a $250,000 fine for standing down a health and safety representative who directed co-workers to cease unsafe work during COVID-19, with a judge saying the airline’s conduct was “shameful” and designed to “advance its own commercial interests”.
Optus has paid a $1.5 million penalty after an investigation by the Australian Communications and Media Authority revealed breaches of public safety rules.
Government consulting firm Scyne Advisory has brought legal action to stop a partner from jumping to the professional services arm of infrastructure giant Downer EDI.
The mother of murder victim Shandee Blackburn has lost her bid to have a judge decide ahead of trial whether acquitted suspect John Peros suffered serious harm from Facebook posts that allegedly accused him of being a murderer.
US digital giant Meta has lost its challenge to registration of the trade mark ‘Ausface’ by Clive Palmer’s Mineralogy, with a delegate saying the chance of consumers confusing the mark with Meta’s Facebook was a “mere possibility”.
A judge has quashed the OAIC’s decision to reject a second class action-style complaint filed over the massive Optus data breach, finding the Privacy Act does not bar second-in-time proceedings.
Downer EDI has named KPMG in a cross-claim in a class action by shareholders, a move the accounting giant says has forced it to resign as auditor for the infrastructure services company.
A judge has ordered a litigation funder bankrolling an investor class action against Virgin Australia to show evidence it can meet a $10 million agreed indemnity with the airline, saying it was not being transparent about its financial position.
More companies may find themselves in the position of Medibank — which recently failed to stay representative proceedings before the privacy regulator while a related class action is on foot — so long as the laws remain unchanged, and law firms are willing to gamble on privacy class actions.