Sparke Helmore has secured a temporary reprieve in a $1 million negligence lawsuit against it, with a NSW Supreme Court judge staying the case for two weeks to allow the plaintiff property developer, which has been described as a “rudderless” firm, to get its house in order.
A judge has vacated next year’s trial in ASIC’s insider trading case against Westpac despite “misgivings”, and has made orders regarding confidential evidence after the Australian financial watchdog argued that handing the material to the bank could damage its relationship with its Hong Kong counterpart.
A judge has signed off on a settlement in two shareholder class actions against clothing retailer Surfstitch, but has capped the legal costs and commissions sought by the litigation funders after finding the law firms behind the cases sent out notices to group members that were “misleading” and “understated” the risks of joining the class.
Payouts in class actions in 2020 largely kept pace with the previous year despite the financial strain of the COVID-19 pandemic, with companies and other defendants paying more than $696 million to settle class actions last year.
The judge overseeing three class actions against the Commonwealth over its use of allegedly toxic firefighting foam, which have settled for $212.5 million, said backing by a litigation funder led to a better outcome for group members, who would otherwise have been in the disadvantaged position of “supplicants requesting compensation”.
A judge has given his blessing to a landmark $212.5 million settlement of three class actions over the use of allegedly toxic firefighting foam at government military bases despite a “large number” of objections.
The settlement of three class actions brought against the Commonwealth of Australia over its alleged use of toxic firefighting foam on government military bases is facing an unusually high number of objections, pushing an approval hearing into a second day as dissenters voice their concerns in court.
The Commonwealth of Australia has called for the appointment of an amicus to scrutinise the $212.5 million settlement reached in several class action against it over allegedly toxic firefighting foam used on government military bases.
The judge overseeing the $212.5 million settlement in three toxic foam class actions against the Commonwealth of Australia has been told of at least one objection to the deal and has flagged difficulties taking submissions from opposing group members at an upcoming approval hearing.
A settlement has been reached in three class action against the Commonwealth of Australia over the use of allegedly toxic firefighting foam at government military bases.