A $98 million settlement reached in two franchisee class actions against 7-Eleven is “appropriate” given the likelihood that the convenience store giant would have lost at trial, according to a contradictor who urged the court to reject a $25 million cut sought by the funder that backed the litigation.
Litigation funder Galactic should receive a $15 million commission for its work on two franchisee class actions against convenience store giant 7-Eleven, instead of the $25 million it has asked for, a court has heard.
The contradictor appointed to represent group members in an application for approval of a $98 million settlement of two franchisee class actions against 7-Eleven has raised “grave concerns” about criticism by the senior partner of the law firm running the proceedings.
Evidence of anxiety felt by 7-Eleven franchisees leading class actions against the convenience store giant was relevant to whether the funder could earn a $25 million commission from the proceeds of a settlement, a court has heard.
The High Court has granted the ATO’s bid to impose a worldwide freezing order against Chinese property developer Changran Huang, saying the court’s power to freeze assets did not depend on whether there was a realistic possibility of enforcing a judgment in a foreign jurisdiction.
A judge has declined a contradictor’s calls to send an application for a common fund order in a class action against 7-Eleven, which recently settled for $98 million, to the Full Court.
A contradictor asked to weigh in on a $98 million settlement in class actions against 7-Eleven has said the Full Federal Court should decide an application by the funder for a common fund order, citing the importance of the issue.
Despite claims the $98 million settlement did not warrant a contradictor’s scrutiny, a judge has appointed a contradictor to represent the interests of group members in franchisee class actions against 7-Eleven as he weighs the deal.
A judge has shot down what he called a “risky” but novel proposal by 7-Eleven for a pre-trial ruling on sample objections to the relevance of evidence in two franchise class actions.
Courts have power to order oral discovery of potential witnesses ahead of trial, according to the judge overseeing two 7-Eleven class actions by franchisees, but the cases against the convenience store giant were not the occasion to exercise the power, he said.