Judgment

A judge has spiked Piper Alderman's class action alleging Google abuses its dominance in digital advertising, favouring a competing case run jointly by two other firms, despite suggesting such arrangements hinted at lawyers “passing the prize around”. 

The High Court has unanimously found the Federal Court has no power to allow solicitors to take a cut of a settlement or judgment in a shareholder class action against Blue Sky, saying it would be contrary to rules against contingency fees in NSW. 

Craft brewer Better Beer has lost a challenge to rival TRADIE’s bid to register a trade mark for the promotional phrase 'TRADIE Beer Built Better', with IP Australia finding no real danger of confusion between the brands.

A barrister who claimed a conviction for contempt had "slipped his mind" has lost an appeal of a decision finding he was not a fit and proper person to hold a practicing certificate.

The operator of a gym previously inside a Bankstown RSL club has scored a partial win on appeal against its new landlord, but has only received nominal damages of $10. 

A judge has refused to force the sale of a Footscray property used for logistics services, estimated to be worth $23 million, saying an agreement by the co-owners to sell it by a deadline could no longer be performed. 

The NSW tax office has succeeded on appeal in its fight with Uber over five years of payroll tax totalling more than $81 million, with an appeals court finding that payments made to drivers are taxable.

A judge has allowed Charter Hall to respond to developer Pro-Invest’s expert evidence in a case claiming $100 million in damages for the lost opportunity to build a 26-storey hotel in the Sydney CBD. 

An appeals court has declined to revive a negligence case against a solicitor accused by a former client of failing to advise him on key clauses in a rescinded $1.7 million sale contract.

A tribunal has ordered the EPA in Victoria to indicate what conditions it would impose on Veolia’s development application for a waste transfer station, which the regulator has opposed.