Victorian Attorney-General Jill Hennessy is “cautiously confident” that her bill allowing lawyers in the state to charge contingency fees will pass as early as next week, but the class action reform couldn’t come soon enough, she says.
Personal healthcare giant PZ Cussons is seeking $4.7 million in indemnity costs from the ACCC, claiming the regulator’s much hyped spoke and hub case over an alleged laundry detergent cartel was always “overwhelmingly likely” to fail.
A class action seeking almost $2 million in damages has been launched on behalf of Australian-Chinese investors against a Sydney law firm over advice on investment properties sold by the now collapsed developer Ralan Group.
BHP Billiton must pay $125 million in added taxes after the High Court struck down its appeal in a dispute with the Australian Tax Office over taxes on income from its Singapore marketing hub.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has scored a victory before the High Court, with the court unanimously finding that the term “officer” under the Corporations Act is not limited to those that hold official positions within a company.
The Federal Government will pay $212.5 million to settle three class actions over the use of allegedly toxic firefighting foam at government military bases.
A subsidiary of BHP Billiton can’t get its hands on underwriting documents in its case against Lloyd’s of London and Berkley Insurance, which are being sued by the mining giant for over $36 million after allegedly substandard equipment was installed at its Olympic Dam Mine.
Venture capitalist Elaine Stead is pushing forward with her defamation case against the Nine-owned Fairfax Media despite what she has called an “inadequate” third attempt at a defence by the publisher.
With the common fund order tossed in a class action against two IAG entities over allegedly worthless add-on insurance, a Federal Court judge on Tuesday was asked to grapple with a practice note in determining when to notify group members of a possible order to “equitably and fairly” distribute the legal costs and funding commission in the proceedings.
Telstra has won its battle with Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane over a planned upgrade of its payphone network across Australia, with a judge ruling the teleco did not need planning permits to install the next generation, digital phone booths.
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