A former Slater & Gordon lawyer has been reprimanded by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal for “disgraceful and dishonourable” conduct in falsifying client affidavits but has avoided having her practicing certificate wholly suspended because of past mental health issues and current efforts at rehabilitation.
If the Government wishes to maintain its fearmongering about the perils of the litigation funding industry, it ought to put its money where its mouth is and establish a statutory fund that would finance meritorious class actions, provide security for costs, and indemnify applicants from adverse costs orders, says Slater and Gordon’s Claire Pirie.
The judge considering the $50 million settlement reached in the shareholder class action against failed training company Vocation and auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers has signalled his likely approval of the deal, but wants a senior lawyer to tell the court why the funding commission is reasonable.
A judge has allowed Treasury Wine Estates to apply for security for costs before a group costs order application is decided, in a class action accusing the wine maker of breaching its continuous disclosure obligations.
The judge overseeing two class actions over legal and accounting advice given ahead of Slater & Gordon’s disastrous Quindell acquisition has said he will hear the cases together, citing the “dangers” of the approach taken in litigation against GetSwift, which resulted in a judge being ordered to step down.
A judge has found the lead applicant and funder in a discontinued class action against Pitcher Partners over its auditing of Slater & Gordon must pay the bill for the flurry of cross-claims brought in the proceeding, but has rejecting the accounting firm’s argument that its costs should be paid on an indemnity basis.
Professionsal services giant EY has added to the many cross-claims flying in the shareholder class action against Pitcher Partners over advice to law firm Slater & Gordon, and has alleged the accounting firm engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct and negligence and that it breached its retainer.
A judge has said that Australia’s largest childcare centre operator, G8 Education, can apply for security for costs before a group costs order in a class action accusing the company of failing to keep investors in the loop about increased costs and occupancy rates affecting its 2017 financial performance.
Food and beverage manufacturer Freedom Foods and accounting giant Deloitte have been hit with a second class action by irate investors seeking compensation for “accounting errors” that led to a $590 million write-down in November last year.
Murray Goulburn insurer AIG Australia says it should not have to pay 20 per cent of a $42 million class action settlement reached by the dairy cooperative, arguing on Tuesday that the class action claims failed to satisfy the definition of a “securities claim” in its insurance policy.