Class Actions

Contingency fee of 33% justified in novel Sportsbet class action, judge says

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 $1.5 million penalty for attempting to rig a bid for construction work on the National Gallery of Australia.

Construction

Downer EDI wins spat with builder over $22M payment claim

A judge has found that builder DT Infrastructure’s application for adjudication of a $22 million payment claim against Downer EDI was discharged by Downer paying off a smaller claim of less than $1 million, which was the only amount expressly referred to in DTI’s application.

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.

Competition & Consumer Protection

Noni B owner to cop $25M penalty for delivery time promises

Noni B owner Mosaic Brands has been hit with a $25 million penalty for breaching consumer laws by failing to delivery 740,000 packages within the time frame specified on its website.

Defamation

Barrister wins bid to move costs row with Giles George after cavoodle defamation case

A Federal Court judge has refused to recuse himself in a dispute over legal fees following a Sydney barrister’s successful defamation case against Nine but has sent the matter to the NSW Supreme Court.

Financial Services

ASIC cancels MWL Financial’s licence over Shield Master Fund investments

The corporate cop has cancelled the financial services licence of MWL Financial and banned its director for 10 years for allegedly directing more than 750 clients to invest a combined $155 million into Keystone's failed Shield Master Fund.

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