Law Firms

Sydney real estate group The Agency has lost an appeal in its trade mark case against a rival, with the Full Federal Court upholding a finding that the company would have an “unwarranted monopoly” if other businesses were barred from using the descriptive words in its name.

COVID-19 lockdowns may have ended years ago but the impacts on small businesses are only now being seen, with larger companies likely to suffer a “contagion effect” in 2024, says K&L Gates’ newest partner.

Thiess has defeated a lawsuit by a rock supplier seeking $9.3 million in damages for alleged delays by the mining services giant in receiving materials for work on Chevron’s Wheatstone natural gas hub. 

Care A2 Plus must hand over $675,000 in security for costs to pursue a $358 million cross-claim in a lawsuit by former business partner Gensco, after a judge found the infant formula company’s claims were a “counterattack”, and not merely defensive. 

US drink giant PepsiCo has lodged an appeal of a court win for the Australian Taxation Office over payments made by Schweppes under a distribution agreement that were found to be subject to royalty withholding tax.

A judge has discontinued a class action by Victorian councils against insurer JLT Risk Solutions, but has departed from the decisions of two other judges by ruling the suspension of the time limit for bringing the councils’ claims will immediately be lifted. 

Awaiting judgment in Federal Court class actions by shareholders over its money laundering risk disclosures, the Commonwealth Bank will ask the court to reopen the case to consider the relevance of two recent decisions that found shareholders in other class actions had failed to prove loss.

A former senior media advisor for the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission has sued the watchdog, alleging she was fired after complaining about bullying behaviour by a senior employee. 

The Minister for Agriculture has rejected an offer to settle a nine-year-old class action over the government’s 2011 ban on the live export of cattle for $510 million plus up to $390 million in legal costs and interest. 

Bank of Queensland will pay a $820,000 penalty after its Members Equity was found guilty of criminal charges over misleading representations, with a judge finding the defunct direct bank was no less responsible because the offending conduct resulted from a systems error.