Shine Lawyers

A judge has expressed her concern over delays in a suite of cases filed against P&O Cruises by holidaymakers who were seriously injured in a fatal bus collision in Vanuatu in 2016.

The applicant in a class action against Blue Sky Alternative Investments and auditor EY has raised an “often overlooked” principle to challenge the separate legal representation of two of the company’s directors, dodging applications for almost $15 million in security – for now.

A judge has declined to hear an interlocutory stoush about the scope of a shareholder class action against engineering company Worley before an upcoming trial, saying the case, which has been on foot since 2015 and was appealed to the High Court, needed “some finality”. 

A judge has approved a $22 million settlement in a class action on behalf of a First Nations community that alleges their land was contaminated by toxic firefighting foam at a military base in Jervis Bay, citing the “very real” risks the case would face at trial. 

A judge has approved the discontinuance of an underpayments class action against Tandem, saying it would be “inutile” to press forward with the case after the telco contractor entered administration.

Shine Lawyers has been ordered to hand over its costs agreement with the lead applicant in a class action over norovirus outbreaks on Carnival’s Sun Princess cruise ship, amid a likely plan by the cruise operator to seek security for costs in the no win, no fee class action.

The judge weighing the legal costs sought to be deducted from a $300 million settlement in pelvic mesh class actions against Johnson & Johnson has questioned Shine Lawyers’ bid to make group members pay $32 million in interest incurred on a loan the firm took out at “credit card” rates.

A judge has avoided a fight “with the High Court written all over it” over whether an investor class action against Blue Sky Alternative Investments and auditor EY can join four insurers to the case.

Despite assurances, wealth manager Insignia Financial did not engage PricewaterhouseCoopers to review the performance of its ‘Buy Model” investment portfolio after an equities analyst complained it had been overstated, a court overseeing a shareholder class action trial has been told.

The Federal Court’s recently retired top judge has landed on his feet with his appointment by the court as referee to determine which of a group of competing firms should dole out a $300 million settlement that resolved the J&J pelvic mesh class actions.