Peak legal body says ATO privilege protocol burdens lawyers

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The Law Council of Australia has raised concerns about the Australia Taxation Office’s draft protocol for handling claims of legal professional privilege, saying it “overreaches” and asks too much from lawyers.

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Judge slams ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ approach to Fair Work claims

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A judge hearing a $2 million dispute between a former tenured professor and the University of New South Wales has lamented the lengthy pleadings filed in Fair Work cases, saying “everything but the kitchen sink seems to be thrown in, without any discrimination”.

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Victoria’s EPA ignored climate change law in renewing power station licences, suit says

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Victoria’s environment watchdog has been taken to court over its decision to renew the licences of the state’s three remaining coal power stations, a test case under the state’s Climate Change Act and the latest in a series of climate lawsuits.

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Pharmacor challenges patent extension for Biogen’s MS drug

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An Australian generic drug manufacturer has struck back at patent lawsuit by Swiss pharmaceutical company Biogen, alleging a patent for MS drug Tecfidera is invalid and a that a patent term extension for the drug  was wrongly granted.

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Energy regulator takes Tesla big battery owner to court

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The Australian Energy Regulator has filed court proceedings against Hornsdale Energy Reserve, the owner and operator of the world’s second largest lithium-ion battery, for allegedly failing to provide promised contingency services to avoid power disruptions in 2019.

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Judge won’t let two class actions against Freedom Foods, Deloitte run in parallel

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A judge has rejected an application by the plaintiffs in two class actions against Freedom Foods and Deloitte to run their cases side-by-side, but said she would have granted a bid to consolidate the proceedings had that been sought.

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NSW Bar says former barrister keeps practising, in criminal breach of injunction

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A former barrister has continued to practice in local courts without a valid practising certificate, in “very serious” criminal contempt of a court-ordered injunction, the NSW Bar Association has told a court.

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Class action mediation ‘pointless’ without unregistered group member data, Pitcher Partners says

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A judge has refused a bid by accounting firms Pitcher Partners and EY to access share trading data of unregistered group members in a securities class action over advice to Slater & Gordon, despite claims upcoming mediation will be “pointless” without the information.

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Forum Finance director faces $300,000 legal bill, can’t mount defence, court told

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A Forum Finance director is unable to file a defence against Westpac’s $400 million fraud case because his former solicitor has refused to hand over case files to his new lawyers until he pays a “remarkable” $300,000 legal bill, a court has heard.

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