A settlement has been reached in three class action against the Commonwealth of Australia over the use of allegedly toxic firefighting foam at government military bases.
Deloitte has lost its appeal of a ruling in a shareholder class action over the collapse of Hastie Group that compelled the production of audit files taken by a partner from the accounting giant’s litigation room, in a ruling that described the actions of the partner as “bordering on contempt” and slammed Deloitte for “cynically” exploiting the situation.
A judge overseeing patent litigation over the painkiller Dynastat has urged the parties to narrow any issues in dispute, saying the excessive amounts of money spent in these types of cases could harm public perception.
Former AMP general counsel Larissa Cook, who is suing the financial services giant for alleged bullying, wants her former employer to provide details of claims in its defence that senior executives raised concerns about her conduct and that her performance was being “managed”.
A ruling is expected Thursday in an appeal by the partnership of Deloitte over the production of audit files that were apparently stolen from the accounting giant’s litigation room, a high-stakes decision that will clarify the limits of a partnership’s right to claim privilege against self-incrimination.
A judge has questioned whether he should sign off on a $49.5 million settlement in a class action against National Australia Bank over allegedly worthless credit card insurance, which he said had a “fundamental flaw” because it did not contain a provision automatically cancelling group members’ policies.
ASIC has criticised a Federal Court judge for his ‘thought experiments’ around prospective home loan applicants feasting on Wagyu beef and shiraz, as the regulator challenges the judge’s dismissal of its responsible lending case against Westpac.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has secured a short-lived agreement by the Australian Federal Police not to look at the material seized in a controversial raid on the national broadcaster’s headquarters as it considers whether to take its battle with the agency to an appeals court.
Financial services provider IOOF may have beaten back regulatory action, but it still faces the wrath of shareholders, with a new class action claiming the firm engaged in corporate misconduct that includes insider trading, front running and breaches of trustee duties.
Westpac has criticised Shine Lawyers for allegedly turning a registration and opt out notice to class action members into a ‘sales pitch’ designed to book-build for the firm, saying the High Court’s recent common fund ruling forbade approval of anything designed to boost the commercial viability of a case.