Aged care provider Estia Health has launched a bid to strike out the pleadings in a Phi Finney McDonald-led shareholder class action, accusing the law firm of making “speculative allegations” in the hope of strengthening its case later on.
Two units of global insurer Lloyd’s have launched a constitutional challenge to a Federal Court order requiring accounting firm Pitcher Partners to hand over certain insurance documents in two shareholder class actions.
Concerns about duplicative costs in multiple class actions are better addressed by case management decisions aimed at cutting excessive expense, not by limiting the amount lawyers representing group members can spend, the Full Federal Court has said in dismissing an appeal by baby food maker Bellamy’s.
The Full Federal Court is set to hear appeals in four class actions in the August sitting, giving the court a chance to address important issues, including cost-capping in joint class actions and security for costs in unfunded cases. Here, we give you the run-down on each of the upcoming challenges.
The Federal Court has granted Treasury Wine Estates costs of a stayed class action filed against it by a firm owned by solicitor Mark Elliott, despite a settlement in a related class action barring TWE from seeking remedies from class members.
Accounting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers is resisting a notice to produce audit files in a consolidated shareholder class action over the collapse of education and training company Vocation, arguing its partners face a real risk of criminal and civil penalty proceedings and are entited to claim privilege against self-incrimination.
Baby food maker Bellamy’s is not giving up its fight to limit the costs of two shareholder class actions against the company, lodging an appeal of a ruling that shut down its cost-capping bid as premature.
A judge has rejected a bid by Bellamy’s to limit the recoverable costs of rival law firms running joint class actions against the baby food maker, saying he would deal with any unjustified duplication later, not now.
Treasury Wine Estates can’t claim its legal costs in defending against two stayed shareholder class actions because the terms of a settlement in a third class action barred the company from recovering anything from group members in related cases, a court has heard.
A judge looked dimly Monday on a pitch by baby food maker Bellamy’s to limit to $4.5 million the costs incurred by the law firms leading joint class actions against the company, saying the request was “very ambitious”.