Ashurst

ANZ is optimistic its proposed $4.9 billion acquisition of insurer Suncorp’s banking unit will be cleared by the competition regulator, and is counting on the public benefits of the merger to win approval.

German pharmaceutical giant Bayer, which is facing a legal bid by generic drug maker Sandoz to invalidate patents covering blood clot drug Xarelto, is seeking to amend one of the patents in dispute.

Clayton Utz has picked up a new partner specialising in digital transformation from Ashurst to join the firm’s public sector practice in Canberra.

Norton Rose Fulbright has lost the co-head of its energy, infrastructure and resources team in Australia to King & Wood Mallesons, just months after the group’s other leader jumped ship to another Big Six firm.

Virgin Australia will seek to throw out a case brought by former employees over a COVID-19 vaccine mandate, which a lawyer for Qantas and Jetstar, which are also named in the suit, said “breaks every pleading rule”.

A judge has ordered that Google pay indemnity costs to former deputy premier of NSW John Barilaro, in addition to $7150,000 in damages over a “relentless, racist, vilificatory, abusive and defamatory campaign” by YouTube commentator Jordan Shanks that the tech giant “did nothing” to stop.

A judge has ordered that Google pay $715,000 to former deputy premier of NSW John Barilaro over a “relentless, racist, vilificatory, abusive and defamatory campaign” by YouTube commentator Jordan Shanks that the tech giant “did nothing” to stop.

The Full Federal Court has rejected German drug maker Boehringer Ingelheim’s appeal of ruling that shot down its opposition to Merck Sharp & Dohme’s patent application for an injectable anti-parasite drug for livestock.

Explaining his decision to reject a class action settlement that would have earned a law firm $1.75 million but provided nothing to 27,000 Woolworths employees, a judge has said the agreement created a conflict of interest between the solicitors and the workers they sought to set “adrift”.

Bill Papas’ girlfriend Louise Agostino has hit back at Westpac’s lawsuit accusing her of involvement in the Forum Group director’s alleged $294 million fraud, denying all allegations and arguing that the bulk of the bank’s claims against her should be struck out.