The ABC and Fairfax have lost their bid to file an amended defence in defamation proceedings brought by Chinese businessman Chau Chak Wing, several months after the Full Federal Court upheld a ruling striking out out the publishers’ truth defence.
A sizeable group of employment lawyers from K&L Gates has parted ways with the US legal giant to set up its own specialist shop, shaking up the market for employment law services in Australia.
Multiplex is calling for the liquidators of collapsed engineering services group Hastie to pay its costs, and pay now, for pursuing an action to recover millions of dollars in unpaid bills on the grounds that the construction company was not entitled to offset its debts with amounts owing.
Whether judges can alter the terms of litigation funding agreements in class actions is a question that will remain unsettled for now, after litigation funder IMF Bentham chose to sidestep a lengthy, costly and risky challenge to the reach of the court’s powers.
A bid to join Shine Lawyers and barrister David Turner to a negligence suit against an Australian law firm retained to assist with a $630,000 contractual dispute has been dismissed after a judge found it was “not just, desirable or convenient” to drag the two parties into the dispute.
The National Australia Bank faces the prospect of “significant monetary penalties” after self-reporting a potentially large number of money laundering and counter terrorism financing breaches to AUSTRAC and its overseas counterparts.
The Federal Government has conditionally approved a $1.5 billion acquisition of all shares in baby food and milk formula manufacturer Bellamy’s Australia by a Hong Kong-based dairy firm after finding the transaction was “not contrary to the national interest”.
Insolvency firm Worrells has come out in support of partner Jason Bettles, who is facing an investigation by the corporate regulator for his work as liquidator of the Members Alliance Group of companies, saying the probe was unexpected.
Construction equipment manufacturer Caterpillar Inc has lost a challenge to the registration of two ‘Hellcat’ trade marks by FCA Group, producer of well-known auto brands Fiat, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Alfa Romeo.
The Supreme Court of Victoria has considered whether an insured buyer under a warranty and indemnity policy is entitled to indemnity from an insurer when it relied on income and liability warranties in a share sale agreement and those warranties were breached, a case that provides welcome guidance on the contractual interpretation of W&I policies, writes Justin McDonnell and Rebecca LeBherz of King & Wood Mallesons.