The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has won its bid to continue proceedings against the insolvent operator of the Jump! swim school franchise and its director, with a court finding the case was in the public interest.
William Roberts Lawyers and a litigation funder are investigating potential claims by property purchasers and investors against Ralan Group after the developer entered administration and creditors were warned to “prepare for a poor outcome”.
Two former directors of collapsed business and IT solutions provider Starcom Group have failed in their attempt to toss a referee’s report that found the company was insolvent 22 months before it was wound up.
Two former directors of Tennis Australia can’t access chats between ASIC and other executives from the tennis body, with a judge finding the documents recording the communications with the potential witnesses were created in anticipation of litigation and were therefore privileged.
In a recent decision, Federal Court Justice Jonathan Beach approved the settlement of the securities class action against Sirtex Medical. The approval included the judge making a common fund order and allowing funder IMF Bentham’s commission in the amount of $10 million, namely 25% of the gross settlement sum of $40 million. In approving the commission, Justice Beach noted that the rate should properly provide a reward for the risks undertaken by the funder, writes IMF Bentham’s Gavin Beardsell and Kate Hurford.
The liquidators of Plutus Payroll Australia, the company at the heart of a high profile $105 million tax fraud, can determine that claims made during the liquidation by some of its 4,500 workers are not claims of employees and do not need to be prioritised.
State Street Global Advisors has been given the go-ahead to use evidence unearthed in its trade mark and copyright action against Maurice Blackburn over the iconic Fearless Girl statue as evidence in a related US lawsuit against the sculpture’s creator.
A court has ordered James Cook University to pay over $1.2 million to a controversial climate change professor who was sacked in a manner the judge found “reprehensibly unfair” and an “egregious abuse of power”.
The judge overseeing a group of class actions against car manufacturers over faulty Takata airbags has questioned a simplified group registration and opt out process proposed by the law firm leading the cases, saying it would “invite a moronic approach” to sign up.
Aged care provider Estia Health has launched a bid to strike out the pleadings in a Phi Finney McDonald-led shareholder class action, accusing the law firm of making “speculative allegations” in the hope of strengthening its case later on.