Boutique class actions law firm Phi Finney McDonald has won its bid to reserve costs incurred before its case was permanently stayed in the AMP shareholder class action beauty contest, after the firm racked up at least 1,345 hours in “sunk costs”.
A judge overseeing competing consumer class actions against AMP over superannuation fees said he would be “reluctant” to hold a contest between the two cases, as the applicants in the rival proceedings tell the court they are in talks about possible consolidation.
A judge has released his reasons for consolidating two shareholder class actions against logistics company Brambles over opposition by the lead applicant in one of the competing cases, saying the interests of group members trumped those of the lawyers and funders in the case.
Slater & Gordon has struck back against allegations by a former senior solicitor that he was fired after making complaints about the law firm’s arrangement with a third-party funder for personal injury clients, denying any unethical practices and arguing the lawyer’s termination was part of a cost-cutting restructure.
AMP is a facing a second class action for allegedly charging excessive fees on more than two million superannuation accounts, setting up another potential class action beauty pageant.
Facing cross claims by Pitcher Partners in two shareholder class actions alleging the accounting firm wrongly signed off on Slater & Gordon’s financial reports ahead of a share price nosedive, the law firm and its ex-directors say they relied on the auditor to ensure the veracity of the statements.
The Western Australian parliament will this week introduce a new class actions regime modelled on the federal scheme, in a move the state Attorney-General says will enhance access to justice and improve efficiency.
Dairy supplier Murray Goulburn has agreed to pay $42 million to settle one of two shareholder class actions over a 2016 profit forecast revision that sent the co-op’s unit price falling more than 40 per cent in five days.
While no means a flood, the class actions filed in response to the shocking evidence of misbehaviour at last year’s banking royal commission have been steadily flowing and show no signs of drying up. Here, we give you the round-up of cases launched so far, the latest developments in each, and what’s coming down the pipeline.
A judge has granted a bid by the applicant in a class action against National Australia Bank over the sale of allegedly worthless credit card insurance to include customers who took out personal loan insurance, in a ruling that could significantly expand the case.