The Fair Work Commission has found a Bank of Queensland manager was unfairly dismissed despite making a “careless” mistake which led to a fraudster nabbing nearly $40,000 of a customer’s money.
Payouts in class actions in 2020 largely kept pace with the previous year despite the financial strain of the COVID-19 pandemic, with companies and other defendants paying more than $696 million to settle class actions last year.
Class action experts have knocked several recommendations from the Parliamentary Joint Committee for reforming the class action system, including that group members be guaranteed at least 70 per cent of any settlement or judgment, saying this would be challenging to implement and could make disputes harder to resolve.
Properties near seven air force bases where allegedly toxic firefighting foam was used experienced a drop in land value because of the “stigma” of contamination, according to an expert report accepted by the Federal Court in a class action seeking compensation from the Federal government.
Two law firms that have filed competing class action against AMP over allegedly excessive insurance premiums have changed tack and agreed to consolidate the proceedings.
The Full Federal Court has issued a mixed bag ruling in a business interruption insurance dispute between Suncorp subsidiary Vero Insurance and a Melbourne café and restaurant, which sought indemnity for losses incurred during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
A judge has signalled his intention to sign off on a $138 million settlement in a class action against IAG and approve a common fund order that gives the litigation funder a $34.5 million commission, but an application by the funder for reimbursement of after-the-event insurance has been refused.
The law firm behind a class action against German manufacturer 3A Composites over allegedly combustible cladding is seeking to add a new representative group member to cover the claims of owners of property with Alucobond panels.
A Federal Court judge taking over a shareholder class action against IOOF Holdings from a recent High Court appointment has lamented the lack of progress in the case, which has been ongoing for nine months.
Norton Rose Fulbright has been hit with indemnity costs in a long-running case brought by a former partner, with a judge finding the law firm persisted with its “continued maintenance of groundless denials” in the lead-up to a $160,000 judgment against it.