Barristers

The applicant in a competition class action against AGL Energy has failed to find another funder to back the case after the original funder that bankrolled the case withdrew its support.

A judge hearing an appeal by a funder over its cut of a $98 million settlement in franchisee class actions against 7-Eleven has said the $12 million commission was “plainly too little”, and questioned if the class action judge had been “stuck” on the idea that common fund orders are bad. 

A judge has railed against insurer QBE after it sent an email to brokers saying it could “in effect ignore” the court’s request that they notify clients about a class action on behalf of businesses that were denied business interruption coverage for COVID-19 related shutdowns. 

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. 

Accounting firm Ernst & Young is seeking to throw out a tax partner’s lawsuit alleging he remains in the partnership despite an attempt to remove him, arguing the dispute had to be determined through confidential arbitration. 

A judge has ruled hearsay evidence given by Ashurst solicitors is sufficient for Racing Victoria to bring a claim for legal professional privilege over documents ordered to be produced to Racing NSW, which alleges it was the victim of an anti-competitive plot.

A judge has found that an orthopaedic surgeon’s second bid to uncover a journalist’s confidential sources in defamation proceedings against Nine is an abuse of process in light of an earlier ruling that found the sources’ identities were protected by journalists’ privilege.

Chinese video camera company Bolin has won its bid for an urgent anti-anti-suit injunction against Australian competitor BirdDog, with a judge finding there was a risk of “irreparable prejudice” if Bolin lost its right to bring its claims.

A judge has dismissed a bid by Medibank to restrain the Office of Australian Information Commissioner from proceeding with a class action-style complaint on behalf of millions of the private health insurer’s customers affected by an October 2022 data breach.

Appealing her loss in a trade mark stoush with an Australian fashion designer, pop star Katy Perry has argued the woman “should have changed direction” with her ‘Katie Perry’ brand once the singer’s star began to rise.