The head of law firm Levitt Robinson has avoided being personally hit with costs in a franchisee’s lawsuit against failed restaurant chain Fogo Brazilia, despite a judge finding he made “serious misjudgments” in his handling of the case.
Independent online news outlet First Nations Telegraph has filed defamation proceedings against News Corp’s 24-hour news channel Sky News Australia and Alice Springs deputy mayor Jacinta Price over comments she allegedly made on the controversial TV program Outsiders.
Levitt Robinson senior associate Jem Punthakey had a unique opportunity to flex his creative muscles while working on two recently settled class actions against 7-Eleven, which spawned novel interlocutory skirmishes and a special leave application to the High Court.
7-Eleven has reached an in-principle agreement to settle two class actions which accused the convenience store giant of misleading franchisees and underpaying employees at its stores.
The High Court has declined to hear a case that challenges the power of judges to make common fund orders at the close of litigation, a challenge the Federal Court had labelled “hypothetical”.
The power to make common fund orders in class actions is a question before the High Court a second time, but the justices aren’t likely to quell the conflict simmering in the courts below, at least until they have a concrete order before them.
Lawyerly is pleased to announce the winners of its inaugural Litigation Rising Stars competition, which honours 30 lawyers under the age of 40 for their work in high-stakes litigation.
The liquidator of restaurant chain Fogo Brazilia has been ordered to hand over communications with law firm Levitt Robinson as creditors seek to oust him from his role over alleged breaches of duty relating to a class action investigation.
HWL Ebsworth has been ordered to hand over file notes to a former client and whistleblower suing ANZ for unfair dismissal, with a judge rejecting the law firm’s argument that the notes were created solely for the benefit of the junior solicitor taking them.
A judge has shot down what he called a “risky” but novel proposal by 7-Eleven for a pre-trial ruling on sample objections to the relevance of evidence in two franchise class actions.