The Insurance Council of Australia has asked the High Court to weigh in on its case against COVID-19 related claims in business interruption policies, following its high stakes loss in a ruling last month that found an infectious disease exclusion did not apply.
Insurers will face a flood of pandemic-related claims after an appeals court ruled in a test case brought by the Insurance Council that certain infectious disease exclusions in business interruption cover do not apply to coronavirus-related claims.
Race car driver and former owner of the famous Byron Bay Hotel, Max Twigg, misappropriated around $100 million in family trust money, taking steps to conceal the transfer of funds from his mother, a court has found.
Two insurance companies have been joined as respondents to a class action against forestry giant Gunns over the failure of six managed investment schemes for eucalyptus wood in Tasmania.
Grocon has won a $1 million dispute with contractor Construction Profile over the construction of the $20 million Telstra Exchange project in Manly.
Group members in two settled class actions against clothing retailer Surfstitch have been told the settlement amount available to them has plummeted amid a “very difficult retail environment”.
National Australia Bank and HSBC, which are suing the liquidators of collapsed retailer Dick Smith to recoup over $125 million in loans, have successfully fought off a bid by two former company directors for a series of financial reports.
Six law firms are working on a consolidated trial of multiple class actions over the collapse of retailer Dick Smith, but when the trial opened in the NSW Supreme Court this week, a lone barrister appeared in court before Justice Michael Ball, amid a sea of empty bar tables. Most of the hearing’s participants joined through a virtual courtroom while members of the public were invited to watch the trial unfold on a YouTube live stream. Welcome to litigating in the age of the coronavirus.
Unfunded group members in two shareholder class actions against online fashion retailer Surfstitch have been told they are likely better off to opt out of a settlement if a judge approves $6 million in fees and a 30 per cent commission sought by the law firms and funder that brought the cases.
The lead plaintiffs in two shareholder class actions against Dick Smith can amend their case against accounting firm Deloitte, less than two months before a mammoth hearing is set to commence.