A barrister is taking a dispute over his $320,000 bill to the High Court, but a judge has cast doubt on the appeal’s prospects of success.
The judge asked to approve a settlement in a class action against retirement village provider Aveo has sent a shot across the bow to law firms seeking to make broad confidentiality claims over the settlement, saying such claims should be kept “to a minimum” in class actions.
The Federal Court has granted a bid by plaintiffs in competing class actions against Downer EDI to transfer their cases to the Victoria Supreme Court, where a four-way contest will take place.
The High Court has dismissed a constitutional appeal by Irish insurer Zurich, clearing the way for a class action over an allegedly defective New Zealand apartment block to proceed in the NSW Supreme Court.
Tax advisers and firms promoting tax avoidance could face penalties of up to $780 million, as part of a suite of reforms the government is calling “the biggest crackdown on tax adviser misconduct in Australian history”.
A class action brought on behalf of sovereign bond investors over the disclosure of climate change risks has settled with the government on terms that don’t preclude further proceedings, a court has heard.
Competing class actions, which a judge recently called a “plague” on the courts, are driving a rise in class actions, with new representative proceedings brought this year set to outpace last year’s filings, according to a report by law firm Allens.
A judge has ruled that HWL Ebsworth’s negligent advice over property in Paramatta’s ‘Auto Alley’ cost a client $2 million, rejecting the firm’s plea of contributory negligence against the owner.
A judge asked to approve a $50 million settlement in a consumer credit insurance class action against the Commonwealth Bank has questioned a $2.5 million deduction for professional services firm Deloitte.
A Coalition MP has urged the government to take action on the regulation of artificial intelligence, flagging “very significant” issues in the intellectual property sphere.