Class Actions
Judge predicts companies will try to block team-ups by class actions firms
A Federal Court judge has predicted class action defendants will start arguing law firms cannot cooperate in running class actions, after a different judge hearing a case against Google recently remarked that such arrangements could be anti-competitive.
Class Actions
Class action expert concerned about ‘spike’ in contingency fees
A class actions expert has found there has been a spike in contingency fee rates in Victoria over the last two years, expressing concerns that the regime enacted in 2020 may be going in a different way than intended.
Competition & Consumer Protection
BlueScope loses appeal in ACCC’s attempted price-fixing case
An appeals court has dismissed BlueScope Steel's challenge to a decision finding it engaged in attempted price-fixing and was on the hook for a record $57.5 million penalty.
Class Actions
Contingency fee of 33% justified in novel Sportsbet class action: judge
A judge has approved a 33 per cent group costs order in a class action against Sportsbet, saying the relatively high rate was justified by the risks of running the “relatively novel case", which seeks repayment of gambling losses stemming from allegedly unlawful services.
Appeals
Appeal fails in attempted bid-rigging case over National Gallery tender
Industrial technology company Delta Building Automation has lost its fight over a finding that it attempted to rig a bid for construction work on the National Gallery of Australia and must pay a $1.5 million penalty.
Employment
Judge recuses himself from ‘sham contracting’ case against Uber
A judge has recused himself from hearing a 'sham contracting' case against Uber because he previously represented the rideshare giant in four similar matters when he was a barrister.
Intellectual Property
Dyno Nobel appeals loss in explosives patent spat with Orica
Explosives company Dyno Nobel is appealing a court's dismissal of its case seeking to invalidate patents owned by rival Orica for a wireless detonation device.
Class Actions
CBA fights class actions’ bid to keep ‘truly dead’ cases alive
Following the failure of two class actions to prove market-based loss from the Commonwealth Bank’s disclosure breaches, the bank is fighting the class actions' bid to pursue individual ‘no transaction’ cases, saying they were “trying to keep something alive that is truly dead”.
Class Actions
Law firm investigates ‘loyalty tax’ class action against Suncorp
Insurance giant Suncorp faces a class action investigation on behalf of millions of home and car insurance customers who were allegedly misled about their premiums and charged a so-called loyalty tax.
Financial Services
Westpac’s $130M settlement in flex commissions class action approved
A judge has signed off on Westpac's $130 million settlement in a class action over flexible commissions paid to car dealers, bringing to an end three cases brought by Maurice Blackburn against lenders.
