The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has brought an unprecedented court action against Australia’s largest potato wholesaler Mitolo Group, as it continues to ramp up enforcement over unfair contract terms.
The Full Court has invalidated a blanket policy by the Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs to seize mobile phones from detainees held within immigration detention centres, in a class action filed on behalf of detainees.
The judge overseeing the Maurice Blackburn-led shareholder class action against Slater and Gordon that resulted in a $36.5 million settlement has signed off on additional costs for the law firm and the funder that backed the case.
The Senate Economics Legislation Committee has thrown its support behind a bill which permits the use of computer programs to approve patents, trade marks, designs and plant varieties.
The first personal fine against a union official has been handed down in the wake of the High Court’s ruling that courts can order union officials to pay out of their own pockets for violating the Fair Work Act.
Regulating third-party litigation funders gets a resounding yes, but experts are divided on removing the ban on contingency fees and other recommendations for reforming the class action regime. Lawyerly spoke to defence and plaintiff-side lawyers, as well as funders, for their take on the recent proposals, and five major talking points emerged.
After a marathon hearing in court on Monday, law firm Squire Patton Boggs lost its battle to avoid client communication restraints that other parties in the GetSwift class action saga voluntarily agreed to.
Online bookrunner Crownbet has been sued by rival Sportsbet over its attempt to trade mark and operate under the “Sportingbet” name.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is seeking special leave from the High Court to appeal a ruling in a case alleging drug giant Pfizer misused its market power ahead of the expiration of its patent for Lipitor.
Mining giant BHP Billiton has been hit with two class actions alleging it hired hundreds of mine workers as casual employees to avoid paying proper wages and benefits, and industry heavyweights Yancoal and Glencore may face similar claims in the coming months.
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