Westpac has been ordered to pay $3 million after two subsidiaries admitted misleading hundreds of superannuation customers about the financial adviser fees they were charged, a penalty that took into account the Big Four bank’s massive profits.
Consolidation of two consumer class actions against Allianz would do away with competition in a contest to lead a single case that would force a drop in the contingency fee rates of the rival law firms, the insurance giant has told a court.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has taken legal action against international dental care company Smile Direct Club for allegedly misleading tens of thousands of consumers with claims they would be eligible for private health insurance coverage for their aligner teeth straighteners.
Two law firms running competing class actions against insurance giant Allianz have dropped a plan to resolve the duplication by jointly running just one of the cases, opting for consolidation instead.
A judge has approved a $50 million settlement in a shareholder class action against failed training company Vocation and auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers, but questioned whether the $10.9 million commission and $12.75 million legal bill could have been “materially lower” had the case been run by one funder and firm instead of two.
Two shareholder class actions against sandalwood producer Quintis that reached an in principle settlement over a year ago are moving forward following a protracted dispute over insurance, with the lead applicants getting approval to file proposed amended pleadings.
A settlement reached in a lawsuit by the liquidators of collapsed steel giant Arrium against 10 former company directors accused of insolvent trading has been approved by a judge, who noted that while the settlement amount was “substantial”, the deal involved a “substantial compromise”.
Global resources giant BHP Group is seeking special leave from the High Court to appeal a ruling that rejected its bid to exclude foreign investors from a shareholder class action over the 2015 Fundao dam disaster.
Motivated by greed, online educator Captain Cook College engaged in a system of unconscionable conduct by enrolling thousands of students who accrued $60 million in debt but never finished their courses, a court has found.
While Johnson Winter & Slattery’s Andreas Piesiewicz is known for his advocacy and ability to hold his own in the courtroom against some of Australia’s top silks, the 39-year-old partner opted for the camaraderie of the law firm to the life of a barrister.