Judgment

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. 

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.

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. 

A former financial advisor and his company have won court approval to run a claim challenging AMP's buyer of last resort policy, despite the company being a group member in a related class action that settled for $100 million in 2023. 

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.

Swiss drug maker Novartis has lost its bid to have Pharmacor's Valtresto trade mark removed for non use, with an IP Australia delegate finding that an injunction in a fight over the patent for Novartis' heart drug Entresto was an obstacle to using the mark. 

A judge has refused an egg producer's bid for a non-party costs order against Melbourne firm Gordon Legal, saying he was not satisfied the filing of a defective notice was sufficient to invoke the court’s wasted costs jurisdiction.

A judge has accepted that Cbus’ agreement to buy a 50 per cent stake in Sydney’s troubled Halo Tower could fall through if the beleaguered developer behind the project is forced to remain in administration, shooting down a challenge to a DOCA.

Defunct forex broker Union Standard and its former agents have been hit with a combined $300.2 million penalty for “egregious” contraventions, including deliberately pushing risky derivative contracts onto inexperienced investors.

Engineering firm Clough Projects Australia has lost its challenge to a judge's decision that stayed a $55 million cross-claim against former EnergyConnect joint venture partner Elecnor but kept Elecnor's case alive.