When it comes to briefing barristers, solicitors lie on a spectrum of awesome to irksome. In a series of interviews with Lawyerly, some of Australia’s top counsel reveal what they like and what they don’t like about their instructing lawyers.
Virgin Australia unsecured bondholders contesting the sale of the embattled airline to private equity firm Bain Capital have failed in their bid to access confidential transaction documents, but a judge has urged the administrators to communicate with the frustrated creditors.
Virgin Australia bondholders contesting the sale of the airline to private equity firm Bain Capital have blasted the airline’s administrators at Deloitte for failing to inform the court when applying for confidentiality orders that the bondholders had sought information on the terms of the deal.
The Opal Tower owners’ corporation has opted out of a class action seeking compensation on behalf of hundreds of apartment owners in the scandal-plagued building.
Personal care giant Procter & Gamble has filed a lawsuit alleging competitor Colgate-Palmolive has violated the consumer law by falsely claiming that its whitening toothpaste can remove 10 years of stains.
Three law firms will represent the insurers in new proceedings launched to resolve a $46 million insurance question delaying settlement of two shareholder class actions against sandlewood producer Quintis, bringing the total number of law firms working on the class action to eight.
A contradictor investigating alleged professional misconduct on the part of the legal team and funder behind a class action against failed Banksia Securities will subpoena the bank records of deceased class action lawyer and funder Mark Elliott and associated companies. Meanwhile, the barrister for the lead applicant has returned her brief on the eve of trial, on the advice of the bar ethics committee.
Owners of units in Sydney’s Opal Tower have filed a lawsuit against the NSW Government and builder Icon after allegedly discovering more than 500 additional defects in the troubled building.
Bookmaker Sportsbetting.com.au has accused rival Sportsbet of “groundless threats” as it hits back with a cross claim in a hotly disputed trade mark lawsuit between the two companies.
Legislation passed by Victoria state lawmakers lifting the ban on contingency fees in class actions will not lead to US-style litigation entrepreneurialism, but it may also not have the desired effect of encouraging smaller and more risky claims, experts told Lawyerly.