Eliot Olivier

Mercedes Benz Australia will produce 10,000 pages of documentary evidence alongside material from CEO Florian Seidler, in its fight against a $650 million lawsuit brought by Australian dealers over the car maker’s decision to move to a fixed-price agency model.

Australian Mercedes-Benz dealers behind a $650 million lawsuit over the car maker’s decision to move to a fixed-price agency model have lost a bid for an “ambitious number” of dealers to view “super confidential” documents from the company’s head office in Germany.

Franchisees of the Hog’s Breath Cafe restaurant chain are challenging a ruling that they hand over $1.23 million in security for the defence costs of the franchisor in their class action.

Australian Mercedes-Benz dealers behind a $650 million lawsuit over the car maker’s decision to move to a fixed-price agency model allege the car maker engaged Deloitte as a consultant so it could “spin” its real reasons for making the change.

Franchisees of the Hog’s Breath Cafe restaurant chain must pay $1.23 million in security for legal costs in their class action against the franchisor, and the matter is stayed until they can pony up the first installment.

Mercedes-Benz has responded to a $650 million lawsuit by Australian dealers over its decision to move to a fixed-price agency model, saying it had a “legitimate commercial interest” in making the change and denying that dealer agreements were “perpetual” in their terms.

Financial services company AMP has lost its bid to de-class representative proceedings brought on behalf of 1.5 million insurance customers.

AMP and a number of its financial planning subsidiaries could face 1.2 million individual claims if they win a bid to declass a group proceeding over allegedly excessive insurance premiums, a judge has said.

Franchisees of Hog’s Breath Cafe restaurant chain have been accused of “crying poor” by claiming COVID-19 robbed their restaurants of the cash flow required to pay security for costs in a class action launched against master franchisor HBCA.

A solicitor who admitted to allegations of professional misconduct has lost a NSW Court of Appeal bid for the costs of a NCAT proceeding to be paid from the state’s Public Purpose Fund, despite twice winning appeals of the tribunal’s findings.