Former Dover Financial director Terry McMaster on Monday admitted to personally drafting a so-called client protection policy described by a judge as an “exercise in Orwellian doublespeak”, as the court heard evidence that the defunct financial firm ignored red flags raised by two law firms about the policy.
The Federal Court has granted ASIC a legal win against Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, finding that its small business loan contracts were unfair and created a “significant imbalance” that was likely to detriment customers.
Accepting that criminal proceedings were “on the cards” for accused Ponzi schemer Chris Marco, a judge has ordered the appointment of receivers to his assets and those of his company, AMS Holdings, saying there was a strong need for an independent assessment of the investment activities of the WA businessman.
A court has ruled that a litigation funder backing an unsuccessful real estate lawsuit by two broke plaintiffs must cover the legal costs after finding that the funder’s goals in the case were “more to serve its own commercial and financial ends” than to assist its clients.
A proposed notice to eligible group members in Maurice Blackburn’s class action against AMP over its fees for no services scandal threatened to bar unregistered shareholders from any settlement stemming from mediation in the case, a threat barred by a recent ruling finding that courts have no power to close class actions to signed up group members, an appeals court has heard.
Eight months after defeating a case brought by the prudential regulator alleging breaches of superannuation laws, wealth manager IOOF has escaped a class action without paying a cent to shareholders.
Cigno has appealed a ruling shooting down its challenge to the first action brought by ASIC under its powers to prohibit ‘predatory’ financial products, which targeted the payday lender’s model of short-term credit lending.
Westpac has admitted to millions of breaches of anti-money laundering and counter terrorism financing laws, and has told a court it did not adequately monitor transactions of customers linked to child exploitation.
Herbert Smith Freehills has bolstered the ranks of its global financial services team with the recruitment of former Norton Rose Fulbright partner Charlotte Henry.
A contest of two competing shareholder class actions against Westpac over millions of alleged anti-money laundering breaches has ended with one law firm and its funder bowing out.