A barrister for a class action against Radio Rentals has told the Federal Court the company’s “strange” lease contracts may have been worded solely to avoid its obligations under the Uniform Consumer Credit Code.
A judge has given the green light to a settlement of seven class actions against ratings agency S&P Global over toxic financial products, saying despite an “extraordinarily large” litigation funding fee the deal was a “significant vindication” of group member claims.
The lead applicant in an investor class action against Fitch Ratings will get its hands on internal reports detailing why the agency assigned a Triple A rating to Sigma Finance Corporation ahead of its 2008 collapse, and whether it could have predicted the fall of the $27 billion investment fund.
Treasury Wine Estates has gone on the offensive in an intellectual property dispute with Melbourne-based “wine in a can” maker Barokes, launching court proceedings alleging the company’s patents are invalid and claiming it made “unjustified threats” against the Penfolds maker.
Australia’s largest potato wholesaler Mitolo Group has hit back at allegations by the ACCC that its contracts with growers were unfair, telling a court the terms were open to negotiation and were necessary to protect the company’s intellectual property.
The Full Federal Court expressed doubts Tuesday about an “unusual” and “heavy handed” order restraining lawyers leading the stayed class actions against GetSwift from advising their clients about whether to opt out of the prevailing action.
The corporate watchdog can’t get its hands on documents detailing Westpac’s disciplinary measures against rogue traders or communications between the employees ahead of a penalty hearing in a case that found the bank attempted to influence the Bank Bill Swap Rate.
Gaming giant Aristocrat Technologies is seeking further documents from rival Ainsworth Game Technology to weigh misleading conduct and passing off claims as it mounts a potential copyright and consumer law case.
Cargill has been ordered to turn over what it describes as “highly confidential” documents related to the possible sale of its malt business, a new revelation in the complex trial over claims Viterra fraudulently concealed crucial information when it sold malt producer Joe White Maltings to Cargill Australia in 2013 for $420 million.
The ACCC is appealing a ruling dismissing its cartel case against Cascade Coal that alleged the company reached an agreement with rival Loyal Coal in the 2009 tender process for mining exploration licences in the Bylong Valley, NSW.