A Victoria Supreme Court judge hearing two competing class actions against Allianz Australia over “junk” insurance has asked the parties for feedback on what she should consider at a hearing on a request for a group costs order, which would allow the plaintiff lawyers to earn a cut of any settlement or judgment, the first such request made since Victoria legalised contingency fees.
Shareholders who lost a Federal Court trial in their class action against engineering company Worley are challenging the decision to dismiss the case.
A finding this week that Norton Rose Fulbright intentionally misled a former lawyer in an employment dispute and abused the court’s processes threatens the legal career of an equity partner at the firm and is a warning to all firms to think twice before representing themselves in cases involving soured professional relationships.
A former executive of a unit of Leighton Holdings has been arrested and charged with foreign bribery offences following a 9 year-investigation by the AFP into $106 million in bribes allegedly steered to Iraqi officials to win lucrative oil projects.
A court has ruled that an arbitration proceeding before the Fair Work Commission does not doom a Federal Court lawsuit brought by the civilian air traffic controllers union against government-owned Airservices.
An appeals court has shot down oil and gas giant Santos’ bid for expanded discovery against engineering company Fluor, finding that the application was “akin to a fishing expedition” that was based on “a shaky assumption” by lawyers from Corrs Chambers Westgarth.
Two more law firms have been joined to a lawsuit by defunct financial advisor Dover Financial accusing three law firms of providing negligent advice regarding an inaptly titled client protection policy which a judge found was “highly misleading” and “an exercise in Orwellian doublespeak”.
Epic Games, maker of the popular Fortnite game, has taken its courtroom battle with Apple to Australia, hitting the tech giant with a lawsuit for allegedly abusing its market power.
The Australian Taxation Office has been blocked from indirectly recouping GST lost in a major tax scam by allegedly crooked gold traders with the Full Federal Court finding a $208 million demand sent to a defunct gold refiner had incorrectly interpreted the GST Act.
A judge has declined to throw out a lawsuit brought against Qantas by a self-represented worker who was stood down, saying a “liberal and lenient” approach was needed.