Banton Group

A contest to run a class action against Paladin Energy played out Monday, with two law firms each positioning themselves as the better bet, one for their funding and resources, the other for their contingency fee rate.

The competition regulator is seeking to intervene in Mayfield Development's appeal to the High Court in a case the developer says could have "startling" consequences.

Having lost a challenge to privatisation agreements by NSW Ports, the competition regulator wants to intervene in a High Court appeal by Mayfield Developments, which failed in its own case against the port authority.

Mayfield Developments has argued the High Court should overturn a finding that NSW Ports was protected by derivative Crown immunity in entering allegedly uncompetitive agreements to privatise two ports, saying the decision could have “startling” consequences such as allowing the state to devise cartel arrangements.

A class action alleging negligent management by the Murray Darling Basin Authority can amend their case four weeks into trial, with a judge finding the late application was not the result of a “deliberate forensic decision”.

Phoslock Environmental Technologies, which has produced hundreds of thousands of documents to federal police as part of an investigation of the company's China operations, must hand over the bundle to a class action.

The shareholder leading a class action against failed fund manager Blue Sky Alternative Investments has lost a bid for a split trial it accepted was novel, despite arguing the usual course for trials in securities cases was "misconceived".

A class action against Blue Sky Alternative Investments won't seek to transfer the case to contingency fee-friendly Victoria despite a High Court ruling that put the kibosh on solicitors' common fund orders. 

A judge hearing a class action over the collapse of mining company Cudeco has questioned why, despite an in-principle settlement being reached with auditor KPMG, the parties have not sought to formally dismiss the claim. 

The public body in charge of managing the Murray Darling’s water resources has slammed as "incoherent" a class action's claims that it owes a duty of care to protect farmers and irrigators against economic loss.