Justice Lisa Nichols

One law firm has emerged victorious in a four-way contest to run a shareholder class action against Star Entertainment with the lowest proposed group costs order since contingency fees legislation was enacted in Victoria. 

United Petroleum has given an undertaking to not contact group members in a class action against the petrol giant over the introduction of loss-making Pie Face stores, amid concerns about the treatment of franchisees participating in the case.

Holden dealers in a class action over GM’s decision to retire the brand in March 2020 have taken issue with the car maker’s counterfactual in defence, which argues the plant supplying Holden’s best-selling models would have closed anyway.

In its bid for a 30 per cent group costs order, the applicant in a class action against Insurance Australia Group says the percentage shouldn’t be compared to lower proposed rates — as low as 14 per cent — in a battle to run a class action against Star.

Two courts have ruled that in competing class actions against Hyundai and Kia over allegedly faulty anti-lock braking systems, a plaintiff’s bid to transfer one of the cases from Victoria to the Federal Court should precede a carriage fight, deeming it the “straightforward” option. 

The possibility that a NSW judge will revoke a contingency fee order made in a class action over Arrium’s collapse is irrelevant to whether the proceedings should be transferred from Victoria to the appropriate forum, Arrium’s auditor KPMG has told a court.

Uber and the applicants in class actions against the car service will head into mediation later this year, and only group members who sign up to join the cases will get a chance to share in the proceeds of any settlement that results from the talks.

Westpac, Macquarie and ANZ have won soft class closure orders ahead of mediation in three class actions over flexible commissions schemes after a judge found they will improve the chances of settlement.  In a judgment handed down on Thursday, Victoria Supreme Court Justice Lisa Nichols ordered that group members have to formally register in the…

Three years on from their debut, group costs orders — which entitle law firms to a percentage of any recovery in class actions — have raised a host of novel issues that are keeping lawyers and the court busy.

Toyota has denied allegations it fitted up to 500,000 diesel vehicles with engine devices designed to scam emissions tests, in a class action that could be “one of the biggest” in Australian history.