Competition & Consumer Protection
Firms that team up to avoid class action beauty parade could breach competition law: judge
A judge that granted carriage of a Google ad tech class action to Maurice Blackburn and Phi Finney McDonald has reiterated concerns that such cooperative arrangements between firms could breach competition law.
Privacy & Cybersecurity
Privacy regulator takes Optus to court over data breach
The Office of Australian Information Commissioner has brought civil penalty proceedings against Optus over a 2022 data breach that affected up to 10 million people, as the telco also faces a class action and related proceedings by the media regulator.
Fintech
iSignthis, director hit with $11M in penalties in ASIC case
A judge has handed iSignthis and its director $11 million in penalties for failing to give adequate disclosures and giving misleading information to the ASX, saying reliance on legal advice was no reason to reduce the fine.
Trials
Trial over Cosette’s termination of $672M Mayne Pharma merger delayed
Mayne Pharma and US drug maker Cosette have agreed to postpone the start of trial in a case over the termination of a $672 million merger to allow for late amendments.
Defamation
Rebel Wilson repeated ‘false and derogatory’ statements after lawsuit, court told
A lawyer representing a production company that alleges Rebel Wilson “deliberately undermined” the distribution of her movie, The Deb, says the director repeated “false and derogatory statements” after the suit was filed.
Business of Law
Gilbert + Tobin’s head of corporate advisory to join Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Gilbert +Tobin’s executive partner and corporate advisory head Tim Gordon will join Corrs Chambers Westgarth’s corporate practice based after almost 20 years at G+T.
Class Actions
Judge ‘troubled’ about binding Coles, Woolworths class actions to ACCC trial findings
A judge overseeing class actions against Coles and Woolworths over alleged illusory discounts has raised concerns about a bid to bind group members to findings in similar cases by the ACCC.
Construction
Monash University sues Multiplex over ‘defective’ bathroom pods
Monash University has taken construction giant Multiplex to court after its subcontractor installed more than 1,000 bathroom pods in the university's residential buildings with allegedly defective floors that leaked.
Construction
Qube can’t dodge $70M in SOPA spat with Martinus Rail after High Court bid fails
The High Court has rejected logistics company Qube's special leave application asking it to clarify the scope of an adjudicator's role in determining a contractor's payment claims under the SOP Act.
