Judges

Fortrend Securities breached the Fair Work Act in withholding the bonuses of two financial advisors who jumped to rival Shaw & Partners, a court has ruled.

An appeals court has found that an unpaid present entitlement to a corporate beneficiary is not a loan under tax law, upending the ATO’s longstanding practice of treating UPEs as part of a trustee's assessable income.

John Gorton Developments has been ordered to pay $1 million into court amid a spat with Chase Construction, with a judge noting building policy objectives favoured a 'pay now, fight later' system.

US drug maker Allergan may defend a class action over recalled textured breast implants by arguing its knowledge of the alleged defects was limited by the state of scientific knowledge at the time the products were made.

Payments processing company EML has won more time to respond to a new pleading in a shareholder class action over its alleged failure to disclose Ireland central bank’s concerns with its anti-money laundering compliance.

Civil construction company Hynash has lost an appeal bid after a judgment put it on the hook for the full sum of a payment claim lodged by a subcontractor following the termination of a contract linked to a Bathurst, NSW project.

Australia’s largest brick manufacturer Brickworks has dropped a central claim in its competition lawsuit against a rival founded by billionaire Len Buckeridge. 

Wine producer Accolade has won a dispute with Pernod Ricard over interim arrangements to distribute wine after it bought the French winemaker’s Australian and New Zealand businesses.

Building company Icon is fighting developer Citta’s application to vacate the hearing of its claim to $1.2 million for consulting work on a Victorian state project, rejecting the developer’s claim it was ambushed by a new defence.

A bid by Banksia Securities' special purpose receiver to thwart planned proceedings by a group of debenture holders against lawyers for the class action funder has failed.