Two former executives of Dick Smith may seek to vacate an upcoming trial date for two class actions against the failed retailer, after recently being hit with cross claims by the company’s former auditor, Deloitte.
Rival law firms Maurice Blackburn and Phi Finney McDonald will be allowed to work together without consolidating their separate shareholder class actions against the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, after a judge ruled that the bank had overstated the potential for extra costs and delays.
Allianz and a number of other insurers of Dick Smith are now facing a class action over the extent of coverage under an insurance policy for the collapsed electronics retailer’s initial public offering.
Noting the “significant and beneficial reduction” in recent funding rates, the judge overseeing a shareholder class action against recycling company Sims Metal Management has signed off on an order capping the commission of the funders at 25 per cent of any net proceeds and setting a minimum 50 per cent of any recovery for group members.
Treasury Wine Estates is trying to claw back a $1.3 million share bonus paid to former managing director Peter Dixon, alleging serious misconduct relating to the intellectual property theft of highly confidential documents.
Boutique class actions law firm Phi Finney McDonald has won its bid to reserve costs incurred before its case was permanently stayed in the AMP shareholder class action beauty contest, after the firm racked up at least 1,345 hours in “sunk costs”.
The former CEO and director of biotech company Sirtex Medical, Gilman Wong, is facing a maximum ten years in prison after pleading guilty to insider trading.
A judge has refused to grant an injunction stopping the appointment of receivers to Australian cloud-based superannuation fund manager SMSF Squirrel Ltd, describing the company’s financial position as “precarious” and likely to worsen beyond its current liabilities of $7.8 million.
Clothing manufacturer IFOTA has been ordered to open its books to shareholder Simba after it raised concerns about IFOTA’s management and financial position.
A judge has released his reasons for consolidating two shareholder class actions against logistics company Brambles over opposition by the lead applicant in one of the competing cases, saying the interests of group members trumped those of the lawyers and funders in the case.