A judge overseeing a class action against Bayer-owned Monsanto over its allegedly carcinogenic weedkiller, Roundup, has declined to rule on the admissibility of expert evidence in a hearing ahead of trial next year, despite concerns about the independence of the expert witnesses for the class.
Judges have power to manage competing class actions by picking a winner in a so-called beauty parade, the High Court has ruled, but there is no one size fits all approach to the decision, and the law firm that files first is not guaranteed the coveted prize.
The judge overseeing two class actions over legal and accounting advice given ahead of Slater & Gordon’s disastrous Quindell acquisition has said he will hear the cases together, citing the “dangers” of the approach taken in litigation against GetSwift, which resulted in a judge being ordered to step down.
Crown Resorts is facing the first ever oppressive conduct claims in a shareholder class action which alleges the casino giant had lax anti-money laundering compliance systems in place over a six-year period, a judge has heard.
The High Court has set a date for handing down its keenly anticipated judgment in a case that challenged the winner of a beauty contest of class actions against AMP, a decision expected to offer guidance on how courts should tackle the so-called multiplicity problem.
Professionsal services giant EY has added to the many cross-claims flying in the shareholder class action against Pitcher Partners over advice to law firm Slater & Gordon, and has alleged the accounting firm engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct and negligence and that it breached its retainer.
The State of Queensland and subcontractor Sunwater have agreed to pay $440 million to settle part of a class action over the 2011 floods in Queensland that destroyed 2,000 homes in the state.
Law firm Maurice Blackburn has successfully defended a consumer law and intellectual property lawsuit brought over its use of a replica of the famous Fearless Girl statue by US financial services giant State Street Global Advisors.
The first ever application for a group costs order will be heard in class actions against ANZ and Westpac, and the judge weighing the application has urged the parties to think carefully about the evidence they will submit in support of their bid for a cut of any settlement or judgment.
A judge has raised questions about an estimated $13.6 million in legal costs to be sought in an upcoming approval hearing on a $44.5 million settlement reached in a shareholder class action against Woolworths.