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Prepping large class action for trial no reason for relief from COVID-19 restrictions, top judge says
The need to properly prepare a large commercial class action is not reason enough to relieve lawyers of COVID-19 restrictions aimed at protecting the health and safety of Victorians, the Federal Court's chief judge has said in explaining why he denied a bid by the Melbourne-based legal team behind the Crown Resorts class action to have the case declared a priority.
Judge shuts down Boehringer challenge to Merck Sharp & Dohme parasite patent
Pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim has failed in its Federal Court challenge to a patent application for an injectable anti-parasite drug for livestock by a subsidiary of competitor Merck Sharp & Dohme.
Westpac to pay record $1.3B penalty in AUSTRAC action
Westpac has agreed to pay a whopping $1.3 billion civil penalty to resolve AUSTRAC enforcement action over the bank's 23 million breaches of money laundering and counter-terrorism laws.
Elliott doesn’t have to give ‘full and frank’ explanation of alleged role in Banksia fee scandal
An appeals court has set aside an order requiring Alex Elliott, the son of the funder behind the Banksia securities class action, to give a “full and frank” explanation of his role in an alleged fraudulent scheme to inflate legal fees in the case.
Clive Palmer can’t get law firm, funder docs for possible Queensland Nickel claim
The Queensland Supreme Court has shot down an "entirely speculative" bid by two Clive Palmer-owned companies to access information held by two law firms and a litigation funder, as the mining magnate mulls a lawsuit for potential breaches of a settlement reached in the Queensland Nickel liquidation proceedings.
Funder will take loss in $7M QRxPharma class action settlement
The funder backing a shareholder class action against the directors of pharmaceutical firm QRxPharma will not seek to profit from a $7 million settlement in order to bring about a better return for group members, a judge has been told.
Judge again rejects priority application in Crown Resorts class action
A judge has denied a request to grant priority status to a shareholder class action against Crown Resorts that would have allowed the Melbourne-based legal team running the case to access childcare and leave their homes for work while the state of Victoria remains in lockdown.
Mayfair’s Mawhinney hires Ashurst after lengthy ASIC submission
The director of the beleaguered Mayfair investment group, who has been self-represented in winding up proceedings by ASIC, has now entered into a late stage retainer with law firm Ashurst, with his barrister saying he could no longer manage the case on his own after the regulator filed a lengthy affidavit.
Victoria’s COVID-19 curfew decision ‘bizarre, capricious, arbitrary’, court hears
A decision earlier this month to extend Victoria's controversial COVID-19 curfew was "bizarre, capricious, arbitrary" and was made under pressure from the state's Premier, a Victoria Supreme Court judge has heard.
Judge awards $875,000 in damages for ‘disgraceful’ Facebook posts targeting Nats MP
A judge has awarded $875,000 in damages in a defamation case brought by Nationals MP Dr Anne Webster against a conspiracy theorist for a series of social media posts linking the politician and her husband to a child sex ring.