A Federal Court judge has praised an attempt by Shine Lawyer’s head of litigation to create an audio-visual opt out notice for its insurance class action against Westpac, but jokingly remarked that her performance would not win her any acting plaudits.
A leading barrister has been appointed by the NSW premier to head an inquiry to investigate the docking and disembarking of the Ruby Princess cruise ship, now linked to 18 COVID-19 related deaths.
The applicant in a $47.6 million class action against a unit of car leasing company McMillan Shakespeare has been denied access to insurance documents sought to determine the value of the case, with a judge saying access would “distort the playing field”.
The plaintiffs in a class action against Dr Eddy Dona, the director of defunct chain the Cosmetic Institute, over allegedly botched breast implants have lost their bid for a ‘soft’ class closure order, with a judge saying the class already had sufficient information to engage in settlement negotiations.
Arguing that the court should not be “baulking at problems that have the potential to occur”, counsel for a class action against Ford is pushing back against a bid by the car maker to put the brakes on an upcoming virtual trial the company says will be too difficult and costly.
A judge has refused to delay a civil penalty hearing brought by ASIC against GetSwift, scheduled to begin in June, after the logistics company argued that the virtual hearing necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic would be prejudicial and the proceedings should be adjourned.
Sandalwood producer Quintis has agreed to settle two class actions by shareholders, but the claims against company founder Frank Wilson and auditor EY will proceed for now.
Lamenting that he now has less flexibility to manage commission rates, a judge has called for legislative intervention to give courts authority to regulate funding arrangements at the outset of class actions, a power stripped from them by the High Court late last year.
Funding for a class action over the troubled Coolum Palmer Resort has been temporarily blocked while a company owned by Clive Palmer appeals a judgment in a separate lawsuit lodged by the billionaire to thwart the class action.
A barrister who represented the Commonwealth of Australia in a class action over the use of allegedly toxic firefighting foam has been appointed to the NSW Supreme Court, bringing much needed diversity to the male-dominated bench.