The federal Attorney-General has unveiled a new system for the allocation of more than $1 billion in external legal services to the Commonwealth government over the next five years, with just two Australian law firms approved in every practice area.
The plaintiffs in an investor class action brought against the insurers of Dick Smith have lost an early bid to determine the viability of their claim, amid concerns that the total value of five separate cases against the failed retailer will exhaust the $300 million limit of two insurance policies.
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.
A court has dismissed a long-running case against defunct Babcock & Brown executives by a private investment fund over a botched $1.4B acquisition of the biggest laundry equipment provider in the US, saying the executives did not breach their duties by failing to disclose that the bank underwriting the deal allegedly wanted out.
The Full Court has denied a bid by Deep Investments to vary orders dismissing its case against a solicitor and six others over $10 million in alleged share trading losses, saying this would amount to allowing the investment adviser to bring a different claim.
An appeals court has shut down a case brought by investment adviser Deep Investments against a solicitor and six others over $10 million in alleged share trading losses, saying the proceedings were an abuse of process.
Respondents involved in a case brought by investment adviser Deep Investments over alleged share trading losses, including a solicitor who was sued for allegedly failing to inform the company of exchanges with ASIC about a potentially deceptive employee, are appealing a decision to allow the case to continue.