Cameron Moore

A battle with the competition regulator over the proposed ANZ, Suncorp tie-up has begun, with the first clash involving a group of rival lenders that want their submissions to the ACCC kept under lock and key.

A judge has hit BlueScope Steel with a $57.5 million penalty for engaging in attempted cartel conduct and ordered a former executive to personally pay a $575,000 penalty.

A shareholder class action that was filed in the wake of the banking royal commission over AMP’s fees-for-no-service practices has settled for $110 million. 

Telstra and TPG will not challenge a decision by the Australian Competition Tribunal to uphold the ACCC’s rejection of their proposed regional network sharing agreement.

Despite a judge’s complaint that class action costs are generally “out of control”, the law firm that secured a $192.5 million settlement and earned about $25 million in fees in the Montara oil spill case has won approval for more fees — these ones incurred in a hearing to determine how the settlement spoils should be divided.

Telstra and TPG have lost their challenge to the ACCC’s decision refusing authorisation for a $1.8 billion regional network sharing agreement, with the Australian Competition Tribunal finding the deal would increase Telstra’s dominance in the mobile phone market. 

A judge overseeing a $192.5 million settlement in an oil spill class action against PTTEP Australia on behalf of Indonesian seaweed farmers has balked at the “very large” costs sought by Maurice Blackburn for administering the deal, expressing concerns that class action costs are “getting out of control”.

Telstra and TPG have asked the Competition Tribunal to undo the ACCC’s rejection of their proposed regional network sharing agreement, but fellow telco Optus has warned the deal would kneecap its ability to compete.

Apple has denied it engaged in anti-competitive conduct in operating its App Store in a class action brought over allegedly inflated commissions on certain apps and in-app purchases.

BlueScope Steel spent $27 million defending the ACCC’s claims that it engaged in serious cartel conduct in relation to the supply of flat steel products in Australia, and its apologies came too late to warrant a penalty discount, a court has heard.