Levitt Robinson

A judge hearing an appeal by a funder over its cut of a $98 million settlement in franchisee class actions against 7-Eleven has said the $12 million commission was “plainly too little”, and questioned if the class action judge had been “stuck” on the idea that common fund orders are bad. 

A judge has cut law firm Levitt Robinson’s costs in a class action against retirement village provider Aveo, finding the solicitors were “seriously derelict” in serving their evidence on loss and ran up over $1 million in avoidable costs.

The date has been set for a hearing in the second case to test the argument that judges lack power to make a common fund order when a class action settles, and the litigation funder challenging the argument can expect a sympathetic ear.

A franchise class action against United Petroleum has asked a court for leave to expand the class action to include a group of commission agents and to add the oil company’s parent as a third defendant.

A judge has given the green light to a $11 million settlement in a class action against retirement village provider Aveo, but reserved his decision about whether a contested amount of over $1 million should go to group members or the law firm that brought the case.

A franchisee class action against United Petroleum over the installation of allegedly loss-making Pie Face stores at its franchise sites has succeeded in fending off the petrol company’s bid for security, with a judge agreeing it would have a chilling effect on the unfunded case.

A class action against the Northern Territory government has been sent back to the drawing board, with a judge striking out allegations that its funding of Aboriginal interpreting services discriminated against people in a remote Indigenous community.

A judge asked to approve an $11 million settlement in a class action against retirement village provider Aveo is considering a proposal by court-appointed contradictors to set aside a percentage of the sum for group members, which would leave the law firm running the case $2 million out of pocket.

The law firm that’s running a franchisee class action against United Petroleum over allegedly loss-making Pie Faces stores has has won its bid to peek at draft communications the oil giant wants to send to group members.

United Petroleum, which is facing a franchisee class action over allegedly loss-making Pie Face stores, is resisting a plaintiff law firm’s bid for “a right of veto” over the petrol giant’s communications with group members, even those not represented by the firm.