Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan has struck back at a defamation lawsuit by Clive Palmer, filing a counterclaim accusing the mining magnate of making a number of defamatory statements, including that he was a “liar” involved in “covering up” illegal activity.
A judge has slammed the parties in the Robodebt class action for sparring over the pleadings, one week after the class was given leave to add a claim for exemplary damages and allege knowledge of the program’s unlawfulness on the part of several government officials and federal minister Alan Tudge.
An upcoming legal battle over whether counterclaims can be brought against non-party group members in a class action against a unit of recruiter Tandem could hamper bookbuilding efforts by making class actions less attractive to group members, an expert has told Lawyerly.
Isuzu plans to lodge cross-claims against electronics company Directed Electronics and various third parties in an $18 million lawsuit accusing the commercial vehicle manufacturer of contract and copyright breaches and aiding a former employee’s alleged theft of company information.
A mine worker employed at BHP’s Olympic Dam is suing the company after she was sacked for allegedly harassing a co-worker on social media for their apparent failure to self isolate on returning from a trip interstate at the start of the first wave of COVID-19 cases in Australia.
A shareholder class action against Vocation that has spanned five years and spawned multiple cross claims against the failed training company’s auditor, law firm and individual directors, has reached an in-principle settlement.
The Andrews government is facing another COVID-19 related class action, this one on behalf of farm operators financially stung by Victorian and South Australian border closures.
Lawyer John Atanaskovic, the founded of Sydney firm Atanaskovic Hartnell, could come across as “rude” but he was other times a “model of civility and subordinance”, former equity partner Tony Hartnell has told a court during trial in a case by a former general manager alleging bullying and breach of contract.
The number of female barristers being briefed is climbing but they continue to be paid significantly less than their male counterparts, a new report by Australia’s peak legal body has revealed.
Insurers of sandalwood producer Quintis have told a court that a rectification suit brought by the applicants in two class actions seeking to increase D&O coverage by $40 million, “makes no sense”.
For information on rights and reprints, contact subscriptions@lawyerly.com.au
