Ashurst

Under pressure from parliamentary committee members, KPMG said late Friday it would waive privilege and hand over investigation reports from Allens and Ashurst, after initially resisting orders for documents.

A senator has criticised KPMG for claiming a commitment to transparency while also maintaining legal professional privilege over advice from Allens and Ashurst into the alleged misuse of confidential information.

The liquidators of a NSW coal mine formerly owned by Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG Alliance have applied to the court to disclaim a deed under which GFG paid handsome royalties to former owner Glencore. 

The landlord of a Western Sydney commercial property has been awarded $328,000 in lost rent and outgoings after its former tenant, baked goods producer Allied Pinnacle, failed to repaint the external walls at the site.

A shareholder class action against water treatment firm Phoslock wants the company to hand over reports by KPMG and FTI Consulting, arguing the material is not protected by legal professional privilege because it wasn't produced for the dominant purpose of providing legal advice.

US-based advisory firm White Oak, which has sued insurer IAL over the collapse of Greensill Capital, has been ordered to hand over WhatsApp messages between its former CEO and billionaire Sanjeev Gupta. 

Law firm Allens has told a parliamentary committee that a court should weigh in on whether parliament's powers to compel information overrode KPMG's legal privilege, as the auditor resists orders to produce documents.

Super fund trustee REST Nominees is the first of the Dexus bloc of APAC shareholders to challenge a finding that a default notice issued by the board of the airport operator was valid.

Washington H. Soul Pattinson has agreed to sell Brickworks' interests in its industrial property joint ventures with Goodman Group for $1.89 billion, following last year's merger between Soul Patts and Brickworks.

The Law Council says asserting legal professional privilege is not "inherently scandalous", ahead of a parliamentary hearing on KPMG's sharing ofclient information, at which law firms Allens and Ashurst are expected to stay mum.