The Full Federal Court has found that Liberty Mutual Insurance, but not QBE, is required to cover Icon Construction’s losses stemming from the Opal Tower disaster, which has caused the builder $31 million in losses.
A Sydney law firm that brought a class action against Boston Scientific over allegedly defective pelvic mesh products has agreed to stay its case while a class action by Shine Lawyers moves ahead.
With $254 million at stake, Westpac wants a court order blocking the business partner of Forum Group founder Bill Papas from leaving Australia, as Papas remains in Greece while fraud allegations swirl.
Thorn Group is the latest lender ensnared in an alleged $400 million fraud by Forum Finance, with potential funds of up to $2.2 million tied up in the collapsed equipment leasing firm.
Clive Palmer will seek special leave from the High Court to appeal a ruling from the Queensland Court of Appeal ordering him to return $102 million borrowed before the collapse of Queensland Nickel in 2016, and has demanded that the company’s liquidators return the money he paid following the ruling.
A judge has questioned the legal disbursements sought to be approved in a $30 million class action settlement against Westpac over allegedly excessive life insurance premiums, particularly the “extraordinarily large” barrister fees charged in the case.
A judge has allowed a key US-based witness in ASIC’s case against former Quintis director Frank Wilson who will not submit to 14 days in hotel quarantine to give evidence by video link.
The director of the Forum Group companies accused of a $360 million fraud involving at least three major banks can’t return to Australia from Greece because he has COVID-19, his lawyer has told the Federal Court.
Japanese bankng giant SMBC has emerged as the latest lender with exposure to an alleged fraud carried out by Sydney-based Forum Finance, with proceedings filed seeking recovery of almost $99 million it says it paid to a unit of Forum Group and controversial director Bill Papas.
Despite a judge’s urging for the parties to arrive at a “pragmatic solution”, the lawyers behind competing pelvic mesh class actions against Boston Scientific will duke it out for carriage of the proceedings.