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Robodebt class action judge OKs record $550M settlement, halves funder payout
A judge has approved a $550 million settlement in a class action over the Morrison government’s Robodebt scheme but has halved a funder’s payout to $35 million, despite arguments that it was unprecedented to award a single digit percentage commission. 
ASIC scolded for ‘unconstrained appeal’ in failed life insurance case
A judge has sounded the alarm bell about regulators launching appeals to re-litigate enforcement proceedings, in a recent decision tossing the corporate cop's appeal in a case against insurer HCF Life.
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Martinus Rail defeats appeal over $23M payment claim
An appeals court has upheld a finding that grain exporter Co-operative Bulk Handling responded too late to a $22.6 million payment claim from Martinus Rail, agreeing that the clock started ticking on a Saturday. 
Construction PRO
Builder can’t revise negligence claim in suit over Sydney Markets
A builder has lost its bid to amend a negligence claim in a dispute over a warehouse refurbishment contract in Sydney’s Homebush. 
Judge takes HSBC to task for late settlement with corporate cop
A judge has approved a $35 million penalty against HSBC in ASIC’s novel case over the bank's scam protection failures, despite questioning whether the punishment was severe enough given how long the case took to settle.
Construction PRO
Vantager founder can’t halt property sale after court found ‘brazen fraud’ in $45M sale
A judge has refused a bid by the director of property developer Vantager to stay orders to sell his property while he appeals a decision finding him liable for a “brazen fraud” after a $45 million sale was negotiated for a Denham Court property that was only worth $10.8 million. 
White Oak ordered to produce Sanjeev Gupta WhatsApp messages
US-based advisory firm White Oak, which has sued insurer IAL over the collapse of Greensill Capital, has been ordered to hand over WhatsApp messages between its former CEO and billionaire Sanjeev Gupta. 
Construction PRO
Hall & Wilcox can’t constrain inquiry into ‘reasonableness’ of Hastie advice
A judge has rejected Hall & Wilcox's bid to narrow the terms of the court's inquiry into whether legal advice it provided to defunct construction group Hastie was reasonable, before a costs assessor weighs in on the firm's $18.6 million legal bill. 
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Asset Energy loses challenge to rejection of PEP11 gas exploration permit
Asset Energy has failed in its bid for judicial review of the denial of an extension for a permit for its PEP11 gas exploration project off the Hunter coast in NSW.
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Whitehaven wins appeal of mine blast convictions
A Whitehaven Coal unit has succeeded in overturned four convictions for a 2020 blast at its Maules Creek mine that was found to breach environmental laws.