Victoria

Victorian Liberal deputy leader Sam Groth and his wife, Brittany, have launched the first privacy suit of its kind over two Herald Sun articles that speculated about whether their relationship began when Brittany was underage.

A Federal Court judge has predicted class action defendants will start arguing law firms cannot cooperate in running class actions, after a different judge hearing a case against Google recently remarked that such arrangements could be anti-competitive. 

A class actions expert has found there has been a spike in contingency fee rates in Victoria over the last two years, expressing concerns that the regime enacted in 2020 may be going in a different way than intended. 

A judge has approved a 33 per cent group costs order in a class action against Sportsbet, saying the relatively high rate was justified by the risks of running the “relatively novel case", which seeks repayment of gambling losses stemming from allegedly unlawful services.

The CEO of Melbourne builder Vansan Construction has persuaded a court to quash a $2 million default judgment won by SK Developments.

German investment firm Aurelius can add new claims in a dispute with explosives company Orica over a $180 million acquisition, but a judge has called out solicitors for both sides for filing material of “inordinate length” on an application concerning well-established law. 

Plumbing company Flowmotion has brought a court application seeking the OK to pursue a payment claim against the Victorian unit of builder Roberts Co, which entered administration five months ago.

A court has rejected a bid by a Hazelwood power plant contractor to pursue an offsetting claim for an alleged breach of confidentiality in response to a $1.7 million demand from a subcontractor.

The state of Victoria has launched an inquiry into the risks associated with decommissioning the state’s oil and gas infrastructure to ensure that energy companies meet their obligations. 

After more than a year on ice, two class actions against age care facilities over COVID-19 outbreaks are set to resume late this year, following a month-long criminal trial that kicks off next week.