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Solicitor accused of raising money for class action he never filed can’t dodge watchdog’s claims
A Sydney solicitor has lost his bid to summarily dismiss the legal watchdog’s case alleging he set up misleading crowdfunding pages seeking funding for class actions over government orders requiring mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations, as well as another class action that was never filed.
ASIC chair calls on lawyers to be ‘bold’ with AI
ASIC chair Joe Longo has called on lawyers to be bold in their embrace of emerging technologies, saying lawyers “must be careful with generative AI but not afraid of it”. 
Prominent Sydney barrister sexually harassed three women, tribunal finds
A tribunal has found prominent barrister Charles Waterstreet guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct for sexually harassing three women, but declined to find he was unfit to practice after accepting expert evidence that undiagnosed mental illness “was the dominant causal factor" behind his actions.
Nature’s Care majority shareholders to foot the bill for fight with founding family
The majority shareholders of vitamin giant Nature’s Care have been hit with the costs of the company’s failed bid for an injunction against its founding family, after a judge found the shareholders appear to have caused proceedings to be commenced as part of a strategy to “override the rights” of the family. 
ASIC wins case against payday lender Sunshine Loans over ‘wrongheaded’ fees
In a win for the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, a judge has found that payday lender Sunshine Loans charged thousands of customers prohibited fees, issuing a scathing judgment condemning the company’s “wrongheaded” conduct.
Judge approves GCO in James Hardie class action, says funded cases ‘more expensive’
A judge has approved a group costs order in a shareholder class action against building materials giant James Hardie Industries, giving firm Echo Law a 27.5 per cent cut of any proceeds from the case.
Invisalign wins appeal against penniless SmileDirectClub over teeth straightener claims
Dental aligner maker Invisalign has won an appeal of a decision rejecting its case accusing SmileDirectClub of misleading consumers, but the appeals court noted that the prospect of a new trial was “remote” after its competitor went under.
Postgrads class action faces knockout bid as UTS flags novel fight
An underpayments class action brought by postgraduate research candidates at the University of Sydney is facing another summary dismissal bid from the federal government, as the university foreshadows a novel argument that the group members are not employees.
Dumpling chain fined $4M for ‘calculated scheme to rob employees’
The collapsed companies behind dumpling chain Din Tai Fung have been hit with over $3.8 million in penalties after a judge found they engaged in a “a calculated scheme to rob employees of their hard-earned wages and deceive the authorities”.
Judge’s refusal to disqualify himself from MinterEllison costs dispute overturned
A judge’s refusal to recuse himself from hearing a costs dispute between MinterEllison and a former client has been overturned, with a court finding that a number of complaints made about the judge by the client created “a contest” between them.