Law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan has told the court it will appeal a judgment permanently staying its shareholder class action against AMP over the wealth manager’s fees for no service scandal.
A judge’s decision to pick Maurice Blackburn’s no win, no fee class action against AMP over three funded class actions puts the pressure on litigation funders, which will now face more competition from law firms prepared to go it alone, experts say. The ruling also shows the value courts place on funding arrangements that seek to maximise returns for class members, which means class action beauty parades are sure to get less ugly.
Maurice Blackburn’s shareholder class action against AMP — the only action not backed by a litigation funder — has been picked as the winner in a fierce battle of law firms vying to lead a high stakes case over the wealth manager’s fees for no service scandal.
A ruling by a judge deciding a four-way contest to run a shareholder class action against AMP is expected this week, a judgment significant not just because it is the first time a court in Australia has been asked to choose among so many competing representative cases.
Australian distribution firm Halifax Vogel has struck back at a class action alleging it violated consumer laws with its representations regarding the quality of Alucobond cladding, denying that the cladding puts buildings and their occupants at risk of harm or death from fire.
The writing may be on the wall for common fund orders in class actions that put all unregistered group members on the hook for a litigation funder’s commission, after the High Court agreed Wednesday to take up landmark challenges by Westpac and BMW, experts say.
Two Grocon units have successfully struck out portions of an affidavit by the general counsel of property management firm Dexus Property Group, claiming prejudice in a dispute over $43.2 million in allegedly unpaid debts.
The battle over competing shareholder class actions against logistics tech company GetSwift is over, with the High Court rejecting a bid by one of the losing class action applicants to take another look at their case.
Wealth manager IOOF has dismissed a shareholder class action lawsuit related to allegations of misconduct aired at the Banking Royal Commission, calling it “speculative and unfounded”.
Two class actions against collapsed engineering firm RCR Tomlinson may be dismissed earlier than expected unless the Supreme Court allows them proceed against a liquidator who has said the failed company is strapped of funds.