The lead applicant in a shareholder class action against Crown Resorts will ask the Federal Court to declare the proceedings a priority matter so that lawyers readying the case for an upcoming trial in Melbourne can access childcare despite stage 4 COVID-19 restrictions in Victoria.
The solicitor on the record in a class action over the collapse of Banksia Securities has admitted that he never asked to see the fee slips of one of the barristers acting in the case, conceding that this was a ‘gross dereliction’ to his clients.
A judge has rejected a bid by car giant Toyota to provide unsolicited submissions to a court-appointed referee tasked with determining technical questions in the case, saying the application was the first he’d ever seen in 30 years.
The judge overseeing a shareholder class action against logistics provider GetSwift and three executives has vacated an upcoming trial date, following an application that he recuse himself from hearing the case.
An independent costs consultant retained to assess the legal fees sought to be recouped from a settlement in a class action over the collapse of Banksia Securities has denied he was the “dogsbody” of funder Mark Elliott during a fiery cross examination at trial over the costs of the litigation.
A week after silk Norman O’Bryan dropped his defence against allegations of misconduct in the running of a class action over the failure of Banksia Securities, his junior counsel, Michael Symons, has also conceded defeat, telling a court he too should be struck off the practitioners’ roll.
A judge has criticised a revised opt out notice in a class action against Suncorp over allegedly conflicted remuneration and again slammed the funder backing the case for sending a “disturbing” letter to group members contrived to achieve a commercial advantage.
An impending three-week trial for the Robodebt class action may be in danger due to stage 4 lockdown measures in place in Victoria to control a second wave of coronavirus cases, with the top lawyer for the class telling the court he might need to step down due to homeschooling obligations if the lockdown overlaps with the trial.
A class action investigation has been launched against the Victoria state government and private contractors over alleged failures in the state’s hotel quarantine program believed to be responsible for its second wave of coronavirus cases.
Law firm Norton Rose Fulbright has warned of a serious risk of industry-wide class actions against the aged care sector over its handling of COVID-19, but if the largest plaintiffs law firms are planning litigation they are keeping their cards close to their chest.