If it takes up the Federal Court’s ruling in favour of solicitors seeking to earn a cut from a class action, the High Court will be asked to overrule its 2019 decision against common fund orders.
Four proceedings over COVID-19 business interruption losses will be stripped of class action status, with a judge saying most of the common issues were already determined in test cases.
Applicants in two dismissed class actions against the Commonwealth Bank have secured an order staying an assessment of costs in the failed cases until the outcome of an appeal.
Two failed shareholder class actions against the Commonwealth Bank of Australia want to delay paying the bank’s costs until after their 62-ground appeal is heard.
Trial in a shareholder class action against Boral has been halted amid an appeal over a decision to allow questioning of former CEO Michael Kane about an email that mentioned a confidential EY report.
Three former Blue Sky directors who were originally named in a shareholder class action against the collapsed fund manager might be “dragged back” into the case after its chief operating officer pointed the finger at him in his defence, a court has heard.
Boral’s former CEO Michael Kane can be questioned at trial over a reference he made in an email to findings by EY about the building material group’s poor performing US windows business, despite claims that the findings were privileged.
The judge overseeing an $100 million class action against NAB over the collapse of Walton Construction has rejected the bank’s bid for soft class closure ahead of mediation.
Citing the significant time and costs invested in the litigation, the applicant in the second filed class action over the collapse of Quintis wants his half of a $4.37 million settlement with the sandalwood producer to fund ongoing costs in what remains of the case.
Class action settlement approval hearings are not a time for the court to second guess a law firm’s contingency fee as set down in a group costs order, a judge has found, but the question of proportionality is still key, and evidence of a firm’s return on investment and hourly fees may be relevant to the final decision.