Christine Caulfield

Rejecting Victoria's bid for a quick win in a case by Pakenham Place Shopping Centre over the development of a new hospital in Melbourne's southeast, a judge has warned against "last-resort" summary dismissal applications.

After pocketing a partial settlement in the case, the funder behind a class action over the collapse of mining company CuDeco has copped criticism by a judge for defaulting on orders for security for defence costs.

Lawyer Jason Karas wants to challenge a judge's decision to issue a temporary stay of a ruling that he pay $36.5 million to his former business partner and law firm LK Law on the condition that he preserve his assets.

The Commonwealth Bank has urged the High Court to uphold a ruling rejecting shareholders' damages claims in two class actions, saying the decision correctly rejected their "conflation of materiality with loss".

It ditched a planned $627 million union, now US drug maker Cosette must pay more than $13 million toward Mayne Pharma's costs of the legal fallout. Whether it owes the "substantial damages" Mayne is claiming is an issue for another day.

Finding the documents are not relevant to the dispute, a judge has refused access by Martinus Rail to Qube's agreements with other subcontractors working on Sydney's $4 billion Moorebank Intermodal Terminal.

ASIC is appealing the dismissal of its case against software company Nuix over representations in a prospectus for its $1.7 billion float, saying it was concerned the court got it wrong.

Qube Ports has had limited success in seeking to strike out portions of an independent contractor's case that alleges the logistics giant is vicariously liable for an employee's sexual harassment at a work event.

Federal Attorney-General Michelle Rowland has hinted at possible reforms to the class action regime that would allow plaintiff firms to earn a profit from group proceedings.

EY Australia faces a lawsuit by a former intern who alleges she was harassed by her manager, victimized after making a complaint, and precluded from participating in a culture review by former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick.