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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".
Quintis class action trial could be two years away, with ASIC case to run first
The Quintis shareholder class action trial could be delayed for almost two years, while ASIC runs its civil proceedings case against the founder of the sandalwood oil production company.
Maurice Blackburn says it can deliver the goods in BHP class action
Law firm Maurice Blackburn has fired its opening salvo in a high-stakes appeal of a judge's decision rejecting its class action against BHP over the Brazilian dam failure, saying the ruling deprived group members of pocketing higher net returns on any recovery and of choosing a more experienced firm to run the case for them.
‘No reason in logic’ why Ethicon pelvic mesh class should not be expanded, judge says
A judge has signed off on the lead applicants' bid to expand the current group definition in a class action against Johnson & Johnson unit Ethicon over allegedly defective vaginal mesh products, saying there was "no reason in logic" why the request should be denied.