Insurance

Select AFSL, its related entities and its director have been slapped with $13.6 million in penalties after a judge found that the life insurer used unconscionable phone sales tactics to “wear down” often vulnerable consumers, including migrants and Indigenous communities.

A judge has cautioned two law firms running competing shareholder class actions over last October’s cyber attack on Medibank that they must keep their focus on the best interests of clients and group members, saying lawyers can lose sight of that duty when arguing for their case. 

A judge overseeing a shareholder class action against Insurance Australia Group says more evidence is needed to back the applicant’s bid for an order giving lawyers 30 per cent of any recoveries.

A court has imposed a $40 million penalty on Insurance Australia Limited in a case by the corporate regulator alleging NRMA customers were not paid $60 million in promised loyalty discounts.

Greensill Capital’s UK division has won a stay of several lawsuits over the supply chain financing firm’s $1.7 billion collapse, but an insurer has already flagged a bid to press on with its claims against the company.

The developer of healthcare directory app Whitecoat must pay health insurer and joint venture partner NIB $1.6 million for loans that were never repaid following the app’s sale to the Commonwealth Bank for $42.5 million in 2021. 

The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority has raised Medibank’s capital adequacy requirement by $250 million, following last year’s cyber attack against the private health insurer, which exposed the personal details of 10 million customers. 

Hannover Life Re should be allowed tax credits for GST paid on a share of its overheads, including rent and power, a judge has found in a partial win for the reinsurer.

The applicant in a class action against Blue Sky Alternative Investments and auditor EY has raised an “often overlooked” principle to challenge the separate legal representation of two of the company’s directors, dodging applications for almost $15 million in security – for now.

A judge has approved a settlement with former directors of collapsed advisory firm Linchpin Capital under which insurer RiverStone will pay $6.3 million, which will be used to fund the investor class action’s claims against AIG.