The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has launched court proceedings against superannuation trustee Diversa for allegedly failing to take appropriate action in response to a financial advisor who was under investigation.
It has been described as the darkest chapter in Victoria’s legal history, an exemplar of all that is terrible with class actions in Australia. A case of greedy lawyers who found their golden egg in a group of retirees who had lost their life savings, never thinking the chickens might come home to roost. Until now.
Insurers have largely succeeded in challenging COVID-19 business interruption losses claimed by a group of small businesses, in an important second test case that could save the industry billions of dollars.
An appeals court hearing the case of a barrister who allegedly made a sexual comment to a clerk while intoxicated at a dinner following a legal industry event has questioned how a professional reprimand can serve a protective purpose if the person remains unnamed.
The International Legal Finance Association has slammed the Morrison government’s proposed class action reforms, saying Australians were “systematically being stripped of their ability” to obtain relief through class actions by a “wish list of procedural hurdles” that would make the lawsuits unviable.
The NSW Supreme Court has outlined its roadmap back to holding live hearings but has said that those attending court in person will need to have both COVID-19 vaccination doses.
Supermarket giant Woolworths will pay an additional $50 million to current and former salaried team members and has provisionally settled an underpayments class action against it.
Priceline faces a class action by a group of franchisees accusing the pharmacy giant of exercising an “overly prescriptive level of control” that limits their profitability.
The aircraft engineers’ union has filed Federal Court proceedings against Virgin Australia over alleged privacy breaches relating to the airline’s enforcement of its mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy.
Class action reforms proposed last week by the Morrison government would lead to the “rapid abandonment” of open class actions by law firms and litigation funders, two leading barristers have argued.
For information on rights and reprints, contact subscriptions@lawyerly.com.au
