While there was no shortage of pain and challenges for law firms as the coronavirus raged across the globe last year, a number of big firms also felt the sting of litigation from disgruntled clients, partners and employees.
Three unions representing Qantas workers have asked the High Court for special leave to appeal a ruling from the Full Federal Court siding with the airline in a dispute over the operation of the JobKeeper wage subsidy.
The Conservation Council of Western Australia has brought legal action in the Western Australia Supreme Court alleging the state government should not have approved Woodside’s proposed Burrup Hub LNG expansion.
Payments provider Tyro is facing the threat of a class action over a days-long EFTPOS terminal outage that has left many businesses unable to accept payments.
A former general manager has sued engineering and construction firm John Holland Group alleging he was fired for raising safety concerns about defects in the Canberra Light Rail system.
Payouts in class actions in 2020 largely kept pace with the previous year despite the financial strain of the COVID-19 pandemic, with companies and other defendants paying more than $696 million to settle class actions last year.
A Brisbane-based law firm is being sued by a paralegal who claims she was forced to take a 20 per cent pay cut during the COVID-19 pandemic on the basis of misleading statements by the firm’s director.
Billionaire Clive Palmer has offered to withdraw his High Court contempt of court lawsuit against Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan “in a spirit of reconciliation and forgiveness”, but his defamation case against the state leader will continue.
The Australian Federal Police have arrested a second former high ranking executive associated with Leighton Holdings as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged foreign bribery.
Casino and mobile game giant Aristocrat Leisure has reached a settlement in its lawsuit against rival Ainsworth Game Technology that alleged a former employee stole trade secrets related to a lucrative slot machine.
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