Kate Morgan

A judge has sentenced the former CEO of Bingo Industries to two years’ imprisonment to be served in the community and imposed $30 million in penalties against the waste company for a cartel arrangement with rival Aussie Skips, which copped fines of $3.5 million and an 18 month’ intensive corrections order for its boss. 

Companies and government entities paid out less to settle class actions in 2023 than in the previous two years, with no mega settlements hitting their pocketbooks.

EnergyAustralia has hit back at a lawsuit by Australian parents accusing it of misleading customers, saying it was “valid” to market its products involving a carbon offset scheme as ‘carbon neutral’.

A judge has approved a $41.45 million settlement in a pelvic mesh class action against manufacturers Covidien and TFS but has put off deciding on the costs of the firm that ran the case, saying it is “next to useless” when law firms appoint their own costs consultants.

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.

A class action over pelvic mesh products supplied by device makers Covidien and TFS has reached a global resolution with the manufacturers and their insurers which brings the recovery total in settled mesh class action close to $450 million.

A class action on behalf of women injured by alleged defective pelvic mesh will not advise group members the estimated average return from the proceeds of a settlement against defunct device manufacturer TFS’ insurer because it would be “cruel”.

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”.

The Australian Taxation Office has won a long-running case over an international tax evasion scheme by a company linked to the Binetter family after uncovering evidence showing earlier judgments were secured by fraud.

Dental aligner maker Invisalign has lost its case accusing competitor SmileDirectClub of misleading consumers about the cost and efficacy of its direct-to-consumer teeth alignment kits