The managing partner of Hicksons Lawyers has been accused of saying that if a former partner got pregnant, it would “ruin all [his] plans,” according to a sex discrimination lawsuit that argues the firm’s requirements for promotion to equity partner were discriminatory.
A Federal Court judge has given the receivers for Harris Scarfe four more months to find buyers for 39 of the struggling department store chain’s retail outfits, as they look to prevent the company from being wound up.
Mortgage lending and investment company RMBL has agreed to pay $3 million to settle a class action alleging it charged excessive fees on loans and made misleading representations under its contributory mortgage fund scheme.
BlueScope’s decision to hide its trade secrets has doomed its patent infringement lawsuit against South Korean rival Dongkuk Steel, with a judge dismissing the case and invalidating two of the steel giant’s patents.
Jet builder Bombardier has lost its appeal of a ruling by the Western Australia Supreme Court that it has jurisdiction to hear a multimillion dollar case brought by the company of WA billionaire Tim Roberts over the sale of aircraft to wealthy Australians.
UK-based company Hill & Smith Holdings has won court approval to expand its patent case against Australia-based Safe Barriers Pty Ltd for allegedly infringing its patented road barrier system to include a former employee who jumped ship to the rival road safety product maker.
The lead plaintiffs in two shareholder class actions against Dick Smith can amend their case against accounting firm Deloitte, less than two months before a mammoth hearing is set to commence.
An IOOF subsidiary has appealed a $76.6 million judgment finding it breached its duty in the sale of a 46,000 hectare plantation by collapsed forestry giant Gunns Group and shooting down its cross claim seeking to pass liability onto law firm Sparke Helmore.
A law firm has dodged a $6.5 million negligence claim by a Tasmanian agricultural business over advice supplied about agreements entered into with a division of collapsed forestry giant Gunns Limited, with a judge slamming the company director’s evidence as “rambling and non-responsive”.
Running a law firm is not without risk, chief among them staring down a lawsuit by a client, an ex-partner or employee, even a rival firm. Last year, Australian firms faced numerous actions alleging everything from sex discrimination to negligence.