The workplace umpire has jurisdiction to hear a case against Qantas and its budget subsidiary Jetstar brought by the union for licenced aircraft maintenance engineers stood down during the coronavirus pandemic, a judge has ruled in a blow to the airline.
A judge overseeing mining magnate Clive Palmer’s challenge to border closures by Western Australia and Queensland has delayed a hearing in the case for two weeks as WA’s expert responds to an urgent call for help from Victoria, which has seen a record surge in coronavirus cases.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will not oppose the acquisition of global pharmaceutical giant Bayer’s animal health business by competitor Elanco, after the company agreed to divest certain brands to allay competition concerns.
Vehicle Management Systems will take another crack at opposing a patent application by rival SARB Management Group for an integrated magnetic parking overstay detector.
It is entirely possible that the first effective SARS-CoV-2 vaccine is developed in Australia, with an Australian firm securing patent rights to the vaccine. If that occurs, it is important to remember that a patent is not an impenetrable fortress. Patent laws already contain mechanisms to enable “special access” to patented pharmaceuticals and other technologies, including (perhaps especially) in times like this, say James Neil and Richard Hoad of Clayton Utz.
The Commonwealth Bank of Australia has refused to provide sought-after documents to the lead applicants of a joint class action against it until AUSTRAC grants permission, citing concerns over possible criminal breaches if it hands over the material without the agency’s approval.
Insurance giant Allianz is facing a class action over allegedly “poor value” or worthless car and motorcycle insurance products.
A hearing on the validity of border closures by Western Australia and Queensland should be pushed off while WA’s expert responds to an urgent request by Victoria’s health authorities to help that state deal with its coronavirus outbreak, the Federal Court has been told.
A Virgin Australia unsecured bondholder has launched legal proceedings to uncover confidential details of the sale of the embattled airline to Bain Capital, with the administrators now facing three disputes in the wake of the administration.
The liquidators of Clive Palmer’s Queensland Nickel are appealing a win for the billionaire in their case over the collapse of the refinery in 2016, which centred on $102 million in loans allegedly paid by Queensland Nickel to Palmer’s Mineralogy.
For information on rights and reprints, contact subscriptions@lawyerly.com.au
