Advanta Seeds has defeated a class action brought over contaminated seeds, with a court finding the Australian seed supplier did not owe a duty of care to irate farmers who allegedly suffered loss and damage from the decreased value of their sorghum crops sowed in the 2010/2011 summer season.
Phi Finney McDonald will amend its funding agreement with Therium in a shareholder class action against Boral after a judge found that an irrevocable opt out provision placed the law firm in a “manifest position of conflict”.
A Johnson & Johnson unit wants the High Court to review the Full Federal Court’s rejection of its challenge to a landmark class action ruling that found the company’s pelvic mesh implants were defective and that it failed to adequately warn about their risks.
The Commonwealth of Australia is seeking to remove all references to representative proceedings from a class action pleading that alleges the government failed to disclose the impacts of climate change to investors in sovereign bonds.
A judge has cut the money owed to the lead applicant in a securities class action against the directors and auditors of laser technology company Arasor from a $19.25 million settlement after a failed attempt to “re-litigate” a dispute over almost $400,000 in GST refunds.
Maurice Blackburn has brought a second class action against two NAB units over $6.3 billion in super funds, after the law firm’s first attempt was shut down by a state court as invalid.
Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon unit is facing a second class action over its allegedly defective pelvic mesh products, following a landmark ruling that found the drug company did not adequately warn about the devices’ risks.
A judge has found that news articles published in the Herald Sun, Daily Mail and The Australian may have given group members in a class action against a Telstra contractor the “wrong impression” that they would be exposed to a cross-claim if they failed to opt out.
A lengthy dispute over insurance in a settled class action against sandalwood producer Quintis has been resolved, with the Federal Court rejecting a challenge by two insurers to the rectification of policies that could provide a further $11.25 million in recoveries to group members.
Courts have power to order oral discovery of potential witnesses ahead of trial, according to the judge overseeing two 7-Eleven class actions by franchisees, but the cases against the convenience store giant were not the occasion to exercise the power, he said.