With a large number of lawyers now working from home amid the coronavirus crisis, law firms are getting creative, turning to virtual yoga, cocktail deliveries and more to maintain the health and well-being of their staff.
Activist short seller Bonitas Research must pay Rural Funds Management almost $900,000 after the US-based Bonitas was found to have engaged in misleading or decpetive conduct in issuing a report describing the agricultural fund manager’s equity as “ultimately worthless”.
After almost five years of litigation, a Federal Court judge said he will approve a $127.1 million settlement of five class actions against Volkswagen over the diesel emissions scandal, but appeared unwilling to sign off on a 25 per cent uplift in fees sought by one of the plaintiffs firms.
The litigation funder controlled by recently deceased class action lawyer Mark Elliott has lost its bid for a 12.5 per cent commission of a $5.5 million settlement secured by the special purpose receivers of Banksia Securities in its claim against the collapsed firm’s former insurance broker.
The hunt for the missing Blackberry of deceased class action lawyer and funder Mark Elliott is over, and the located phone will now be examined by IT experts to see if it can be searched for potential evidence to be used as part of an investigation of alleged professional misconduct by the legal team behind a class action against failed Banksia Securities.
Six law firms are working on a consolidated trial of multiple class actions over the collapse of retailer Dick Smith, but when the trial opened in the NSW Supreme Court this week, a lone barrister appeared in court before Justice Michael Ball, amid a sea of empty bar tables. Most of the hearing’s participants joined through a virtual courtroom while members of the public were invited to watch the trial unfold on a YouTube live stream. Welcome to litigating in the age of the coronavirus.
Hong Kong-based casino group Melco Resorts must hand over documents claimed to be privileged to a NSW public inquiry into James Packer’s Crown Resorts, with an appeals court ruling the inquiry had the power of a royal commission.
The number of law firms forcing staff to work remotely in response to concerns about exposure to the new coronavirus has grown, with four firms making the decision Thursday to shut down floors or whole offices.
Staff at the Sydney office of Clayton Utz can return to work Monday after the law firm sent employees home last week amid concerns that one of its employees has been exposed to the coronavirus.
A judge has ordered Johnson & Johnson to include a graphic warning on the patient information leaflets and instructions for use that accompany four of its pelvic mesh products, following a class action over the devices which saw the three lead applicants awarded $2.6 million in damages.