Judges

The judge who oversaw a discontinued criminal cartel case over a $2.5 billion ANZ share placement has bemoaned Australia's overly complex criminal cartel laws, noting prosecutors stumbled in advancing the indictment despite the case involving a "not particularly complex" set of facts.

Brisbane fintech Sniip Limited has filed a lawsuit against American Express Australia, claiming millions in damages after the payments giant allegedly breached a contract to provide card members with BPAY bill payments services. 

Dozens of provisions in Fujifilm's contracts with thousands of small businesses are unfair and unenforceable, a court declared Friday in a case against the office supply company by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has questioned a costs agreement between refugee activist Shane Bazzi and his solicitors in a defamation dispute, raising the possibility that "sham bills" may have been provided to the court to assess the costs to which Bazzi is entitled for his successful appeal.

Google has agreed to pay a $60 million penalty in proceedings brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission alleging the tech giant misled users about the collection and use of their location data.

The liquidator of Fogo Brazilia has lost a bid for a gross sum costs order against the restaurant chain, after a judge found that legal representatives Piper Alderman did not appear to appropriately delegate, with hours of grunt work performed by a partner at the firm.

WA premier Mark McGowan has won the legal costs of running his defamation cross-claim against businessman Clive Palmer after a judge learned McGowan made a walk-away settlement offer in December last year.

A shareholder class action against Ernst & Young over its alleged inflation of assets owned by sandalwood producer Quintis has argued the accounting firm should be allowed only one expert witness, who should collaborate with a competing expert chosen by the investors.

A judge overseeing the trial in a shareholder class action against chain logistics company Brambles has questioned the company's use of long-term financial forecasts.

A Globaltech patent for mining survey tools is facing another test, with rival technology company Reflex Technologies lodging an appeal after its invalidity challenge flopped.