Law Firms

A bid to drop a class action against Philips Electronics over recalled sleep apnea machines showed a gap in access to justice that was “very hard to fill” given the high cost of bringing large scale litigation, a judge has said.

The judge overseeing a sex discrimination and harassment lawsuit by the only female partner at global technology research company Information Services Group has lashed out at the parties for proposing to call a parade of 16 witnesses and estimating the trial would take three weeks.

Mining services company Thiess has settled a class action by fly-in fly-out workers who alleged they were not paid for time spent on the bus travelling home from a Pilbara-based liquefied natural gas processing plant owned by Woodside Energy.

Baby food producer Bellamy’s has hit back at a $400,000 lawsuit by its former chief executive officer, saying she was sacked because of “poor financial performance” and not because she complained about sex discrimination. 

Boutique law firm Barry Nilsson has snagged a Norton Rose Fulbright disputes partner who specialises in healthcare product liability class actions and his five-member team to join its Sydney office. 

The legal industry has praised the historic appointment of Debra Mortimer as the first female Chief Justice of the Federal Court, noting her modern approach to managing cases and compassionate nature. 

Transport for NSW has refused to hand over transactional documents related to its $16 billion Westconnex project in a class action over the alleged fraudulent acquisition of land to construct the tunnel in inner western Sydney. 

Nine has won more time to file its evidence in advance of a six-week trial in defamation proceedings by surgeon Dr Munjed Al Muderis, despite a judge noting its “under-resourcing” of the matter, which the court heard could involve the broadcaster calling up to 40 witnesses.

Sydney law firm Baybridge Lawyers has lost a bid to block a rival firm that’s located in the same office building from registering its ‘LawBridge’ trade mark.

Car dealers that brought a class action against General Motors over its decision to retire the Holden brand in Australia are refuting the car maker’s claims that they did not mitigate their alleged losses, telling the court they signed 1-year support agreements which GM has yet to execute.