While no means a flood, the class actions filed in response to the shocking evidence of misbehaviour at last year’s banking royal commission have been steadily flowing and show no signs of drying up. Here, we give you the round-up of cases launched so far, the latest developments in each, and what’s coming down the pipeline.
A judge has baulked at an application by labour hire company Chandler Macleod and BHP unit Mt Arthur Coal seeking security for their legal costs in two casual worker class actions, saying Fair Work cases were not the same as shareholder class actions.
An attempt by applicants in two franchisee class actions against 7-Eleven to limit communications between the convenience store giant and group members ahead of a hearing to approve a confidential settlement with ANZ, the bank that loaned money to the franchisees, unfairly delays approval of the settlement until next year, a court has heard.
The Federal Court has approved a $14.6 million class action settlement with private training company Ashley Services, auditors Deloitte and Grant Thornton, and Holmes Management Group, with IMF Bentham set to pocket around $4.8 million for funding the litigation.
Promises to pay out claims under vehicle warranties issued by a unit of car leasing giant McMillan Shakespeare were illusory because of a clause that gave the company “manifestly sweeping” discretion to reject any claim, a judge has ruled, in a victory for a class action over the allegedly worthless financial products.
After a first failed attempt, two class actions against 7-Eleven are trying again to restrict communications between the convenience store giant and franchisees ahead of a settlement approval hearing with ANZ, the bank that loaned money to store owners.
A group of Indigenous Australians opposed to Adani’s Carmichael coal mine in Queensland have lost an eleventh hour bid to add extra grounds to their native title appeal, as they wait for a decision from the Full Federal Court.
The Federal Court has granted Treasury Wine Estates costs of a stayed class action filed against it by a firm owned by solicitor Mark Elliott, despite a settlement in a related class action barring TWE from seeking remedies from class members.
An investor who successfully objected to an initial settlement of four class actions over the failed Willmott Forests managed investment scheme lost a bid to have his legal costs paid by the defendants, with a judge saying the objections were not the primary basis for his refusal to sign off on the agreement.
Allowing Vodafone’s proposed $15 billion merger with TPG to go ahead if there were a real chance that TPG could seriously compete in the market for mobile services would have “profound social consequences,” the competition watchdog told the Federal Court Friday as it unsuccessfully sought to push back a hearing over the deal.