Princess Cruises and the Federal Government could face negligence claims — and a possible class action — by passengers of the Ruby Princess cruise ship, which docked in Sydney last Thursday and allowed dozens of people infected with COVID-19 to disembark.
A judge has ordered the Rinehart family to enter mediation in their feud over a $4 billion trust, saying it was “overwhelmingly in the interests of the administration of justice” to seek an end to the long-running and bitter dispute.
BHP has successfully appealed a Fair Work Commission decision that found the mining giant had unfairly dismissed a worker after she placed a sex toy in a co-worker’s baggage at airport security and posed for a revealing photo at work.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has taken swift action to allow medical technology companies to coordinate on supplying ventilators, protective gear and other equipment in high demand due to the coronavirus.
Group members in two settled class actions against clothing retailer Surfstitch have been told the settlement amount available to them has plummeted amid a “very difficult retail environment”.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has approved Coles’ planned acquisition of chilled meals supplier Jewel, saying the sale was better for competition than the liquidation of Jewel’s assets.
The judge overseeing the trial in a trade secrets case brought by Australian auto electronics developer Directed Electronics OE against its rivals is considering how the cross-examination of witnesses will proceed given current restrictions imposed on gatherings due to the coronavirus, including in the event of a possible lockdown.
A hearing has been vacated in ACCC proceedings brought against Sony alleging it misled gamers who purchased faulty PlayStation games, with any penalty the entertainment company should face to be decided by the court on written submissions alone as it seeks to avoid in-person hearings.
Construction giant Boral is facing a shareholder class action for allegedly failing to disclose financial irregularities in its US windows business.
As states across Australia shut down non-essential services and close borders in the battle to control the spread of the coronavirus, companies are turning to their lawyers for guidance on everything from contracts to disclosure obligations, staff reductions to workplace health and safety issues. Lawyerly talked to practitioners to find out what was on the minds of their corporate clients.
For information on rights and reprints, contact subscriptions@lawyerly.com.au
