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BHP class action to take fresh look at pleadings after failure of CBA cases
A shareholder class action against BHP has sought more time to finalise its pleadings ahead of trial, after a judge threw out two class actions against the Commonwealth Bank that also alleged continuous disclosure breaches.
Class action filings set for lowest year in decade, law firm report says
The number of new class actions so far this year has fallen short of recent years, and not a single shareholder proceeding has been lodged in 2024 to date, according to a new report.
Judge rejects law firm’s updated bid in Hyundai, Kia class actions
A judge has rejected a law firm's attempt to update its bid to run class actions against Hyundai and Kia, saying the changes were intended to net the firm a competitive advantage in an upcoming fight for carriage of the class actions and different in substance from its previous position.
Judge gives law firm tough time over extra costs to distribute BSA class action settlement
A law firm has secured more funds to cover the cost of distributing a $20 million settlement reached in a class action against telco contractor BSA, but not as much as it wanted, with a judge saying the firm would have been stuck with its initial estimate if the administration gig had been put out to tender.
Class action lawyer who has secured $230M from ratings agencies goes after Fitch again
A class action has been filed against Fitch Ratings on behalf of investors represented by a lawyer who has taken on credit ratings agencies over risky financial products for over a decade.
Aristocrat says class action applicant should have deleted gambling app
Aristocrat Leisure has hit back at a class action over its allegedly illegal ‘social casino’ apps, saying that playing is optional and that the lead applicant should have deleted the games.
Judge questions law firm’s 40% contingency fee in Ansell class action
A judge has questioned the law firm running a class action against medical glove maker Ansell on its application for a contingency fee rate of 40 per cent, which would equal the highest rate granted since Victoria allowed firms to earn a percentage profit of a group proceeding.
Monash IVF fights plaintiff’s ‘new case’ in embryo class action
Monash IVF is fighting a class action's bid to file a fourth statement of claim in the three year-old case over the alleged destruction of potentially viable embryos, saying the proposed pleadings sparked by an expert report constituted a new case. 
COVID-19 business interruption class actions ‘manufacturing a controversy’, says insurer
Four insurers have argued that class actions over alleged business interruption losses during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic should be de-classed, with one insurer saying group members cannot “go behind” a Full Court decision denying coverage for certain policyholders.
Contingency fee ruling may face serious scrutiny in a High Court challenge, experts say
Although carefully reasoned, last week's landmark judgment by the Full Federal Court finding power to grant contingency fees to class action solicitors has placed the question of statutory authority to award settlement common fund orders on more unsteady ground than before, experts say.