Johnathan Kirkwood

A judge has set aside subpoenas in a class action against Mercedes-Benz over alleged emissions cheating seeking material to identify group members and clarify the composition of the class, finding they were not issued for a legitimate forensic purpose.

A judge will allow the erstwhile funder of a settled underpayments class action against recruitment agency Hays to argue it should be allowed to recover against group members who signed a funding agreement several years ago, but said the claim was “not worth spending a vast amount of money on” and warned the funder against turning the case into a “circus”.

A judge has ordered soft class closure ahead of mediation in a class action against five major banks over alleged foreign exchange rate-rigging, saying the applicant’s subjective view on what will assist mediation should not be imposed on the banks.

A judge has questioned the applicant’s opposition to soft class closure in a class action accusing five major banks of rate-rigging, a measure the banks say could save “tens of millions” in legal expenses. 

Two law firms are seeking court approval to drop class actions brought on behalf of allegedly misclassified casual coal miners, in light of a High Court decision that “radically” decreased their chances of success.

A judge has found that a litigation funder’s involvement in settlement negotiations without the presence of the applicant’s lawyers in a shareholder class action against Spotless Group, which recently settled for $95 million, was “inappropriate”.

ANZ has denied claims that it sold allegedly worthless insurance to group members in a class action against the banking giant, and has said the policies gave customers “peace of mind”.

A litigation funder is planning to challenge a landmark Federal Court ruling that found for the first time that funders can be ordered to pay security for costs in Fair Work class actions.

A landmark ruling has found judges have the power to order security against litigation funders backing Fair Work class actions, in a decision that could change the landscape of representative proceedings.

ANZ Bank will not pay a cent to franchisees in its settlement of two class actions that allege the bank breached its responsible lending obligations and engaged in unconscionable conduct by giving loans to purchasers of 7-Eleven franchises.