Ashurst

A judge has dismissed a class action applicant’s claim that he was underpaid as a University of Sydney postgraduate student, but left for another day the question of whether the court should also make orders binding group members. 

Ashurst and King & Wood Mallesons are working behind the scenes on the proposed union of long-time partners Brickworks and investment house Washington H. Soul Pattinson, a merger that shows capital markets are ready to back big deals, one lead lawyer says.

ASIC has expanded its case alleging HSBC failed to protect customers from scams, revealing a compliance manager at the bank had found that teams tasked with monitoring unauthorised transactions “had no understanding” of the liability provisions in the ePayments Code.

Liquidators of collapsed Forge Group are close to settling their insider trading case against engineering and construction company Clough and former directors, a court has heard on what was to be the first day of trial.

Insurer Marsh has fired off a cross-claim against Swiss bank UBS in several cases brought over Greensill’s $1.7 billion collapse. 

A Federal Court judge has criticised HSBC for failing to comply with court orders in the corporate cop's case alleging the bank failed to protect customers from scams. 

Ashurst has decided to wind down its Canberra federal government practice following a strategic review, with seven partners set to move to Thomson Geer. 

EnergyAustralia has reached a settlement with advocacy group Parents for Climate in a suit accusing it of falsely promoting its carbon offset products as carbon neutral.

Downer EDI subsidiary Spotless has rejected allegations it engaged in price-fixing with Ventia on defence contracts, saying the facilities services companies were not in competition with each other.

Lender WholeCap has lost its bid for a “break fee” and $430,000 in legal costs billed by King & Wood Mallesons associated with a term sheet for a proposed $66.1 million loan to a Harbour Land entity.