Baker McKenzie

Mastercard has lost its claim for legal professional privilege over communications between its chief financial officer in Singapore and in-house counsel about merchant agreements the ACCC alleges were anti-competitive. 

A judge has found that Mastercard can maintain legal professional privilege over a document that was inadvertently sent to the ACCC in 2020 after lawyers at Baker McKenzie had to review 100,000 documents in less than two months.

Testing lab ALS Limited has partially lost its bid to shield a forensic investigation by McGrathNicol in relation to claims of exaggerated coal testing results, with a judge finding it sought to use the findings to dissuade regulators and others from bringing claims.

Real estate asset manager Dexus wants information that the Asia Pacific Airport Corporation gave to several consultants in a court battle over allegations it breached a shareholder deed in selling a stake in the airport operator. 

Mastercard says legal professional privilege remained over a document after a junior lawyer "inadvertently" sent it to the ACCC in 2020 while the credit card giant was trying to dissuade the regulator from continuing an investigation into alleged anti-competitive conduct.

EY may seek damages against rival consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal after it won preliminary discovery to pursue possible claims over a mass departure of partners and staff from its international tax practice. 

Global law firm Baker McKenzie has poached a Corrs Chambers Westgarth special counsel to join the firm’s Melbourne-based employment law practice.

Retirement village operator Lifestyle Communities has secured a reprieve from a ruling that found its exit fee policy was unenforceable, but has said it won't spend the funds it collects while the stay is in place.

A court has ordered companies in billionaire Bob Ell's Leda Group to pay a senior executive $178,000 for terminating his retainer without adequate notice, ending what the court heard was an abusive working relationship.

The judge in a class action against KPMG and ex-Arrium directors has made soft class closure orders, but chosen the longer period offered by the defendants, saying the risk of locking out unregistered members was no reason to pick an “unrealistically early” date to re-open the class.