A planned class action by Shine Lawyers, pegged as “Australia’s largest class action,” over allegedly toxic firefighting foam at eight Commonwealth military bases won’t be filed this month and has turned to bookbuilding following a landmark High Court ruling striking down common fund orders at the outset of class actions.
Judges have no power to order all class action members to pay a proportion of a litigation funder’s commission out of their share of a settlement, the High Court has ruled in a landmark judgment that deals a huge defeat to litigation funders.
The High Court is poised this week to issue its judgment in a case challenging the validity of common fund orders in class actions, a ruling that could see litigation funding commission rates creep back up after hitting record lows.
The Federal Court judge overseeing three class actions against the Commonwealth of Australia over allegedly toxic firefighting foam has criticised the government’s handling of the case, saying the court did not have to ask permission for how to run the proceedings.
Johnson & Johnson did not adequately warn of the risks of its pelvic mesh implants and is liable to pay damages to thousands of Australian women who suffered severe injuries from the devices, a judge has ruled in a long awaited decision in a class action launched more than seven years ago.
A bid to join Shine Lawyers and barrister David Turner to a negligence suit against an Australian law firm retained to assist with a $630,000 contractual dispute has been dismissed after a judge found it was “not just, desirable or convenient” to drag the two parties into the dispute.
Acclaimed ‘Underbelly’ actor Damien Walshe-Howling is defending allegations that he sexually harassed an extra on the set of Channel Ten’s ‘Bikie Wars’ when he grabbed the actress and forced his tongue into her mouth.
A Federal Court judge has expressed concerns about whether group members in three class actions against the Commonwealth over allegedly toxic firefighting foam will be blocked from pursuing personal injury claims related to the chemical.
A Federal Court judge has reversed a prior ruling expanding the class in a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson unit Ethicon over allegedly defective pelvic mesh implants, saying he had “no confidence” new group members would have sufficient opportunity to opt out before judgment is delivered in a few weeks.
An impending judgment in the long-running class action against Johnson & Johnson unit Ethicon over allegedly defective pelvic mesh implants has sent the parties scrambling about opt out notices and the Federal Court considering reversing prior orders that expanded the group definition.