A law firm has escaped an order for costs sought by a Melbourne city council that argued the firm had turned a blind eye to a client’s lack of credibility in an unfair dismissal case.
Israeli drug company Neurim Pharmaceuticals has won an eight month extension to apply for a grace period for its melatonin tablet patent to treat children with autism spectrum disorder after Australian company Generic Partners lost its “inherently implausible” opposition to the patent.
Christian Porter and silk Sue Chrysanthou have been ordered to pay $430,200 in legal costs to Jo Dyer, a friend of the woman who accused Porter of rape, after she succeeded in having the barrister removed from the former attorney-general’s defamation lawsuit against the ABC.
Clive Palmer has won his bid to view text messages between Western Australian premier Mark McGowan and the state attorney-general discussing a bill to ban the billionaire mining magnate from suing the state for $30 billion.
Switzer Financial Group has sued a former senior adviser, claiming he sent a defamatory email to a client accusing the firm — run by financial commentator Peter Switzer — of lacking concern about a conflict of interest.
A judge has rejected an art collector’s bid to enforce a settlement in litigation against the publisher of the Sunday Telegraph over an allegedly defamatory story concerning his purchase of a painting by Australian artist Del Kathryn Barton, finding he had lied about the story being false.
Herbert Smith Freehills has picked up a leading work health and safety lawyer from Clyde & Co to join the Big Six law firm in Sydney as special counsel.
Oil company ExxonMobil has appealed decisions by the Australian Taxation Office to refuse deductions on profits from the sale of petrol from the largest oil field in Australia, claiming its taxable profits over four years should be reduced by $181.8 million.
Compliance and legal specialist Sophie Grace has rejected allegations it was responsible for defunct forex trader Gallop International Group’s collapse after it allegedly loaned $15.4 million in investor funds to the company’s director in Hong Kong.
Last year brought economic growth and success for law firms, but 2021 was not only marked with good news. A slew of law firms were dragged into litigation by disgruntled ex-clients, with some paying out millions of dollars to resolve lawsuits accusing them of giving bad advice.