After almost five years before the courts, a judge has approved an approximately $120 million settlement of five class actions against Volkswagen over the diesel emissions scandal, including a “very substantial” $43 million in fees and disbursements for one of the plaintiffs firms.
A NSW Supreme Court decision refusing to put a Maurice Blackburn-led shareholder class action against AMP on ice pending a High Court challenge has been appealed by the lead applicant of a competing case.
Seven car makers defending class actions over defective Takata airbags have confirmed they will not be challenging a landmark decision that set aside a pre-settlement class closure order in the cases.
Personal healthcare giant PZ Cussons has lost its bid for indemnity costs against the ACCC, after claiming that the regulator was “doomed to fail” when it appealed a judgment dismissing its case over an alleged laundry detergent cartel.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission maintains its $75 million settlement agreement with Volkswagen over the emissions cheating scandal was “appropriate”, as VW progresses its appeal of the $125 million penalty imposed by a judge who called the ACCC agreement “manifestly inadequate”.
Maurice Blackburn’s shareholder class action against AMP should be put on ice until the High Court decides whether a ruling in last year’s beauty parade awarding the firm carriage of the matter was decided in error, a court has heard.
A ruling Wednesday that struck down class closure orders — a device used by judges in class actions for the past two decades — has split the courts in Australia and is expected to head to the High Court.
An appeals court has overturned a ruling ordering class closure in seven representative proceedings against car makers over defective Takata airbags, finding courts do not have the power to make class closure orders.
The power of courts to choose a single winner from a contest of competing class actions is not the likely target of the High Court in taking up a challenge to last year’s beauty parade of shareholder proceedings against AMP, but the analysis behind the decision to award Maurice Blackburn the prize could face scrutiny, experts say.
The High Court has agreed to weigh in on a decision last year to pick Maurice Blackburn’s case as the winner of a beauty parade of shareholder class actions against AMP over the wealth manager’s controversial fees for no service.