A leading climate change lawyer at Baker McKenzie has made the jump to Gilbert + Tobin, less than a year after the US firm’s renewable energy practice lost its global co-head and two partners to another Big Six firm.
Ashurst has bolstered the ranks of its financial regulation team with the appointment of long-serving Clayton Utz partner Narelle Smythe, who joins the firm’s team in Sydney.
A judge has dismissed an urgent application to block Qantas from taking disciplinary action against unvaccinated employees, but the airline has committed to extending their leave with pay until a challenge to its COVID-19 vaccination policy can be heard.
Forum Finance director Bill Papas’ cousin has hit back at Westpac’s allegations he wrongfully received $720,000 from the alleged fraudster in violation of freezing orders made in the bank’s lawsuit, which seeks to recoup $294 million paid into an alleged fraudulent scheme.
If evidence were needed that courts are not rubber stamping class action settlements, the scrutiny of multi-million dollar agreements in 2021 is proof positive that judicial oversight of representative proceedings is robust.
Accounting giant KPMG is seeking the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by a former long-serving employee over “unnecessarily aggressive, belittling and disproportionate” emails allegedly attacking his professional integrity.
Class action settlement totals skyrocketed to over $900 million last year, and one law firm negotiated the lion’s share, with $672 million in settlements under its belt.
Forum Group’s liquidators are seeking to wind up an entity owned by founder Bill Papas that received over $2.6 in “loans” from the alleged fraudster, as they work to recoup almost $400 million allegedly defrauded from three banks.
Saying it will only benefit the law firm and lead applicants, a judge has refused to approve a settlement in an underpayments class action against supermarket giant Woolworths, which would see no payout to employees.
Two major Zip Co investors have sued Merrill Lynch for allegedly breaching its duties as financial advisor by recommending they sell their shares in the Aussie fintech after September 1 last year, at which point Paypal’s announcement that it would enter the buy now, pay later market had sent Zip’s share price plummeting.