Shine Lawyers

Three years on from their debut, group costs orders — which entitle law firms to a percentage of any recovery in class actions — have raised a host of novel issues that are keeping lawyers and the court busy.

A Shine Lawyers class action over norovirus outbreaks on Carnival’s Sun Princess cruise ship has called an attempt to see documents outlining its strategy for the case “abusive” and “bizarre”, as the cruise operator continues its fight to have the suit struck out. 

As the knives come out in a contest between four law firms battling to run an $80 million class action against Star Entertainment, a court-appointed barrister has named his favourites – one of which has proposed a contingency fee of just 14 per cent.

Three firms fighting for carriage of a $80 million class action against Star Entertainment say a group costs order would guard against ‘costs blowouts’ in the case and have urged a judge to ditch a no win, no fee proposal brought by fourth-to-file firm 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.