Tax
Uber ‘not a mere conduit’, High Court told in $81M payroll tax case
Rideshare giant Uber is not a passive intermediary between drivers and riders, the NSW Office of State Revenue has told the High Court in a case over $81 million in payroll tax, but controls trips via its platform "from start to finish".
Intellectual Property
AstraZeneca probes Pharmacor’s delayed defence in Forxiga patent fight
Pharmacor is resisting AstraZeneca’s notice to produce in an intellectual property fight over diabetes drug Forxiga, claiming privilege over material evidencing its consideration of a new claim challenging the validity of a patent extension.
Competition & Consumer Protection
In Mastercard case, judge says suppression bids ‘spiralling out of control’
A judge has said he will not be able to decide all the suppression applications in the ACCC’s misuse of market power case against Mastercard ahead of trial, saying the court was facing an “unreasonable, if not oppressive” burden.
Contracts
Vicinity, Ipoh win $470,000 from Galeries Shopping Centre tenant
Retail property group Vicinity and GIC's Ipoh have won $470,000 from a former tenant at Sydney's Galeries Shopping Centre to cover unpaid rent, damages and fitout restoration costs.
Financial Services
RAMS franchisee doesn’t want to be ‘swept into’ class action trial
A former RAMS franchisee has raised concerns about a joint trial of its case with a related class action against the defunct Westpac home loan subsidiary, saying the overlap between the cases may be “much less than advertised”.
Securities
ASX ‘lacks aspiration’ to oversee critical markets infrastructure, ASIC says
The corporate regulator has delivered a scathing report on exchange operator ASX, finding it has significantly under-invested in technology in favour of delivering short-term dividends to shareholders.
M&A
ACCC taps keg supplier’s acquisition of rival for in-depth review
The competition regulator will further probe US keg company MicroStar's proposed acquisition of the assets of rival keg pooling service Konvoy, saying the transaction could substantially lessen competition.
Real Estate
Woolworths must produce Big W closure strategy docs in row with landlord
A Woolworths entity must hand over documents concerning its plan to close unprofitable Big W stores in a stoush with a Brisbane shopping centre owner over an alleged breach of a 20-year lease.
Employment
Aged care provider to backpay staff $11M under deal with FWO
Non-profit aged care provider Southern Cross Care has agreed to pay over $11.7 million to 5,500 underpaid staff as part of a court-enforceable undertaking with the Fair Work Ombudsman.
Transportation & Infrastructure
Qube’s privilege claim in Martinus Rail spat shot down in part
Martinus Rail has won access to some documents produced in a dispute with logistics company Qube over the Moorebank Intermodal Terminal project, despite claims by the logistics company that the material was privileged.
