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PepsiCo appeals loss in case over royalty withholding tax
US drink giant PepsiCo has lodged an appeal of a court win for the Australian Taxation Office over payments made by Schweppes under a distribution agreement that were found to be subject to royalty withholding tax.
Judge discontinues council class action against insurer JLT, won’t pause clock
A judge has discontinued a class action by Victorian councils against insurer JLT Risk Solutions, but has departed from the decisions of two other judges by ruling the suspension of the time limit for bringing the councils' claims will immediately be lifted. 
CBA class action judge may weigh impact of two failed shareholder cases
Awaiting judgment in Federal Court class actions by shareholders over its money laundering risk disclosures, the Commonwealth Bank will ask the court to reopen the case to consider the relevance of two recent decisions that found shareholders in other class actions had failed to prove loss.
ME Bank hit with $820,000 penalty for misleading borrowers
Bank of Queensland will pay a $820,000 penalty after its Members Equity was found guilty of criminal charges over misleading representations, with a judge finding the defunct direct bank was no less responsible because the offending conduct resulted from a systems error.
App store class actions funder can view ‘sensitive’ Apple data
Apple has failed to prevent a funder from accessing data that will allow it to estimate potential damages in a class action it's bankrolling over allegedly anti-competitive app store restrictions.
Judge slams Tesla’s ‘unrealistic’ bid for urgent arrest warrant over whistleblower docs
A judge has criticised Tesla’s bid for an urgent arrest warrant against a NSW man who allegedly published material leaked by a former employee about its self-driving software, saying the man needs the chance to properly respond to the electric car giant’s contempt of court claim. 
‘Confusing maze’: ALRC calls for overhaul of Corporations Act
The Australian Law Reform Commission has recommended extensive reforms to the "confusing maze" that is the Corporations Act, including the creation of a standalone financial services law.
Referee who accused NRL of bullying loses unfair dismissal suit
A former National Rugby League referee has lost his unfair dismissal lawsuit alleging he suffered bullying and victimisation, with a judge finding the league did not terminate his employment but “acted passively” in letting his contract term end.
Funder of failed IP case can’t dodge indemnity costs
A litigation funder must pay indemnity costs to CoreLogic after bankrolling a photographer’s unsuccessful copyright claim against the property data analytics company, with an appeals court finding it pursued the litigation for its own personal gain.
The things that raised judges’ ire in 2023
Judges were not afraid to vent their spleen in 2023, but lawyers were not the only object of judicial scorn last year, as judges waded into public discourse and sounded off over issues including complex legislation, media reports, famous social media commentators, and the involvement of government departments in legal proceedings.