Allens

Rio Tinto has signed a $430 million partnership agreement with Japan's Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. to fast track development of its copper-gold project in Western Australia's Great Sandy Desert.

Gilbert + Tobin has snagged an Allens partner with expertise on major transactions and projects for its energy, infrastructure and resources group.

A court has approved a $64 million settlement in a consumer class action against the NAB units MLC Trustees and NULIS Nominees, with 69 per cent of the settlement sum to go to group members. 

The NSW Land and Environment Court has granted approval for the development of three fast food outlets on a block off the Central Coast Highway in the heritage listed suburb of Kariong, despite objections from locals. 

A $59 million settlement has been reached in a long-running class action accusing five major banks of foreign exchange rate-rigging.

Rio Tinto has put down $75 million for Zanthus Resources' interest in the Yarraloola Iron Ore project assets in Western Australia's Pilbara region as part of a joint venture with Mitsui & Co and Nippon Steel.

Allens has advised Spark Renewables on a successful bid for access rights for its Dinawan Energy hub project.

In new allegations, a former Super Retail Group exec claims she and a fellow whistleblower were threatened by CEO Anthony Heraghty at a mediation and that the company appointed a conflicted law firm to investigate her complaints. 

Court approval of a $50 million settlement in a class action against ANZ and superannuation trustee OnePath has been delayed, after 22,000 group members were excluded from an opt-out notice due to a problem with OnePath's computing process.