Maurice Blackburn and Phi Finney McDonald have sidestepped a competing class action battle in the high-stakes litigation against Commonwealth Bank of Australia over alleged breaches of money laundering laws, with the firms proposing to jointly lead a consolidated class action against the bank.
Two founders of the Kaden Boriss international network of law firms have had a copyright case over the company’s name and logo thrown out, after a heated spat between partners led to the break-off of the group’s Sydney office.
Westpac-owned BankSA has admitted that convicted Ponzi schemer Michael Samra withdrew funds at “near excess” of the bank’s limits and had insufficient money to honour cheques drawn on his company’s bank account.
A Dick Smith shareholder has lost his bid to bring a separate proceeding against the failed home goods retailer while two class actions are afoot.
The scope of the government’s power to detain individuals is “a matter of considerable public importance”, a judge has said, shooting down the Commonwealth’s bid for costs after it won the dismissal of a class action brought on behalf of asylum seekers who allege they were unlawfully imprisoned in Australian immigration detention centres.
Energy drink giant Monster Energy has dropped its challenge to a ruling allowing alcoholic spirits wholesaler Fernbrew to trade mark the term ‘Real Beast’ for alcoholic beverages.
The Full Federal Court has dismissed a challenge to a ruling that chose one of three shareholder class actions to proceed against GetSwift, saying the court had the power to permanently stay competing cases. But an injunction blocking the losing law firms from communicating with clients was going too far, it said.
Real estate agency Barry Plant has been hit with a $720,000 fine after admitting it breached the consumer laws by underquoting the likely selling price of 20 properties listed online.
Pacific National would not misuse its market power after taking control of an important rail terminal in Brisbane because that would be “irrational”, the Federal Court heard Monday at the start of a two-week trial in the competition watchdog’s case alleging the rail giant colluded with competitor Aurizon to become the dominant operator of key freight corridors.
The accountant and best friend of fraudster Scott Williams “prevaricated and lied” to hide his knowledge of the Centaur Litigation Ponzi scheme that misappropriated $32 million and led to the collapse of the litigation funder, a court has heard.