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Judge hits funder-backed Appco class action with costs despite ‘no costs’ rule
A judge has hit the applicant in a sham contraction class action against Appco with costs for forcing the company to file a defence to a superseded pleading, saying the usual "no costs" rule in Fair Work cases had less force in actions backed by third party litigation funders.
‘Sensible’ funder won’t stick toxic foam class with costs after last-minute common fund withdrawal
A judge has praised funder IMF Bentham for not seeking to recover from group members the cost of a withdrawn common fund application in one of Shine Lawyer's toxic foam class actions, agreeing instead to cop the loss itself.
Maurice Blackburn gets second shot at pursuing class action against BHP
Maurice Blackburn has partly prevailed in an appeal of a judge's decision to put the brakes on its shareholder class action against BHP while greenlighting a competing case brought by Phi Finney McDonald, with an appeals court ordering the rival law firms to negotiate a deal to consolidate their litigation.
Appeals court in BHP class action battle questions superiority of no win, no fee model
Maurice Blackburn's funding model rejected by a judge overseeing a beauty parade of class actions against BHP appeared structured to incentivise the firm to push up its legal fees, an appeals court said Monday on the first day of a high stakes hearing challenging a decision to shut down two of three competing cases against the mining giant.
Banknote maker CCL Secure wins dramatic cut of $65M judgment in ‘shabby fraud’ case
An appeals court has slashed a damages judgment against international banknote manufacturer CCL Secure in a case alleging it tricked its Nigerian agent into signing away his commission, cutting the award from $65 million to $1.8 million.
“I’d be happy to mediate it myself”: Judge cheers talks in Fitch class action
Parties in an ongoing four-and-a-half year long investor class action against Fitch Ratings have agreed to a second round of mediation after a prior attempt was adjourned without success.
AMP admits to breaches in ASIC’s insurance churn case
AMP's financial planning unit has admitted it breached the Corporations Act when at least one of its representatives engaged in so-called insurance policy churning, in a case brought by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission that will now head to a hearing on penalties next month.
‘Fantastic, in the true sense of the word’: judge slams Appco class action funder’s 40% cut
A judge has raised serious concerns about the proposed commission by the funder behind a $90 million sham contracting class action against fundraiser Appco, slamming as "intuitively wrong" an arrangment that could leave group members pocketing less than half of any recovery.  
Trial in Fitch Ratings class action delayed a second time
A battle over expert evidence in an invester class action against Fitch Ratings has delayed this month's scheduled trial in the case by three months and forced the court to send the parties' experts into conclaves.
Brambles shareholder class actions consolidated despite stalemate between firms
A judge has consolidated two shareholder class actions brought against chain logistics company Brambles by Slater & Gordon and Maurice Blackburn, despite the rival firms failing to reach an agreement on the terms of the consolidation following a judge's criticism of the class action "beauty parade".