Accounting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers is resisting a notice to produce audit files in a consolidated shareholder class action over the collapse of education and training company Vocation, arguing its partners face a real risk of criminal and civil penalty proceedings and are entited to claim privilege against self-incrimination.
A ruling by a judge deciding a four-way contest to run a shareholder class action against AMP is expected this week, a judgment significant not just because it is the first time a court in Australia has been asked to choose among so many competing representative cases.
ANZ has recruited seasoned class actions lawyer Ken Adams to be its next group general counsel as the bank faces two cases over a botched share placement and braces for the possibility of more litigation in the wake of the Banking Royal Commission.
Technology consulting group Infosys must hand over more documents — including source code — to Qudos as the mutual bank considers a possible copyright infringement and breach of contract case in the wake of a soured deal to help overhaul its online banking platform.
Insurance giant Metlife has launched legal proceedings against the Australian Financial Complaints Authority to challenge a finding in favour of an injured former NSW police officer, in what is the first Federal Court action against the new external dispute resolution body.
A judge has rejected an application by Microsoft to add a claim to its intellectual property dispute with a Melbourne computer retailer after the software giant’s $2.8 million win was overturned as “regrettable” and the case sent back for re-trial.
A judge has scheduled a three-week trial to begin November 4 in a case brought by the corporate regulator against two directors of Tennis Australia over broadcast rights to the Australian Open, despite argument by a lawyer for one director that the timetable was “extremely tight”.
Facebook and Instagram will defend against claims they misused their market power to block an Australian marketing startup from their platforms, saying the company – which sends scheduled social media posts for clients — had breached their terms of use.
Potential new entrants to a major freight terminal in Queensland will be “better protected” by a last-minute promise by the terminal’s hopeful owner, Pacific National, than if the ACCC had succeeded in blocking the rail operator’s proposed $205 million acquisition, according to the judge who dismissed the competition watchdog’s case.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission chair James Shipton has clarified the regulator’s “why not litigate” approach to enforcement, saying it does not mean “litigate first” or “litigate everything”.