With the Delta variant of the coronavirus thrusting Australia’s largest cities back into a protracted lockdown, lawyers forced to return to remote work for the forseeable future are lamenting the renewed loss of colleague and client connections.
A judge has reopened the trial in Hells Angels’ trade mark case against Melbourne-based retailer Redbubble to hear allegations by the bikie gang that the online marketplace was still selling infringing products after the July hearing wrapped up.
Insurers Lloyds Australia and QBE want class actions by policyholders who were denied business interruption coverage for COVID-related shutdowns stayed until a related test case in the Federal Court is decided.
Two Westpac units have been hit with $10.5 million in fines for providing personal financial advice during a superannuation rollover campaign, with a barrister for ASIC noting the bank had not apologised or expressed regret for the conduct.
US-based chemical and materials technology company Cytec Industries has won its Federal Court challenge to a mining patent application by a unit of Ecolab, with the court finding the claims in the patent lacked support and sufficient disclosure.
The banks and high-ranking executives targeted in pared-down criminal cartel proceedings over a $2.5 billion ANZ share placement are taking new steps to shut down the long-running case, including further probes into the ACCC’s conduct during its investigation into the alleged cartel.
Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting has avoided a discovery order that would cost an estimated $3 million to comply with, with a judge instead ordering that limited discovery be given to two Rinehart children in an ongoing family dispute over titles for the Hope Down iron ore mine.
Prosecutors have withdrawn two-thirds of the charges in a criminal cartel case over a $2.5 billion ANZ share placement and have dropped their case against former Citigroup CEO Stephen Roberts, according to a lawyer in the case.
A judge has found collapsed education provider Phoenix Institute acted unconscionably and with “callous indifference” by enticing vulnerable consumers to enrol in unsuitable courses with promises of free laptops.
Westpac has released further details of its fraud claim against Bill Papas, founder of the Forum Group of Companies, painting a picture of an elaborate scheme to misappropriate $254 million to buy real estate, jewellery, luxury cars, racehorses and European football teams.