The secretary of the NSW branch of the CFMEU and his branch manager son have been hit with a corruption charges over allegations they accepted payments from a Sydney building company in exchange for preferential treatment.
A ruling this week that rejected the first application for a group costs order in a class action because the applicants were better off with their existing no win, no fee arrangement was the right decision given the limits of the legislation, experts say.
Federal environment minister Sussan Ley has approved a controversial coal mining project that is expected to release 100 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the Earth’s atmosphere, despite a landmark ruling that the government has a duty of care to consider the impact of fossil fuel projects on the next generation of Australians.
Saying the interests of class action members “must be given primacy”, a judge has rejected the first bid for a group costs order in a class action since contingency fee legislation passed in Victoria.
Despite COVID-19 case numbers in Australia hitting historic highs and the threat of an economic recession, law firms are cautiously optimistic about their ability to weather the storm without redundancies or reductions in staff pay.
The barrister acting for a former Deutsche Bank executive named in a criminal case over an ANZ share placement has ascended to the NSW Supreme Court.
The number of new class actions has nosedived in the past six months, but experts say the drop does not signal a long-term trend but a recalibration by lawyers and funders, whose ingenuity is not to be underestimated.
Hall & Wilcox has expanded its corporate insurance, commercial and regulatory offering with the appointment of new partner Philip Hopley, formerly of Herbert Smith Freehills.
As states across Australia grapple with lockdowns and rising COVID-19 cases, lawyers practising in a range of areas, from employment to insurance, are bracing for a fresh wave of pandemic-related litigation before the year is out.
The NSW Environment Protection Authority must develop policies to protect the environment from the threat of climate change, a judge has found in a significant victory for climate advocates.