The High Court has granted applications by Westpac and BMW to weigh in on the validity of common fund orders made in class actions, a decision that could have major ramifications for the way representative proceedings are funded.
Irrigators in Australia’s South East have launched a class action against the Murray-Darling Basin Authority claiming its mismanagement of the river system caused up to $830 million in losses.
APRA has been ordered to hand over all of its correspondence with fellow regulator ASIC relating to former IOOF chairman George Venardos, as he prepares to argue privilege over discovery that might incriminate him in any possible ASIC proceedings.
The Bank of Queensland has criticised a judgment which found the bank’s insurance policy left it on the hook for a $6 million settlement of a class action brought by investors in a multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme by jailed fraudster Bradley Sherwin.
A battle over expert evidence in an invester class action against Fitch Ratings has delayed this month’s scheduled trial in the case by three months and forced the court to send the parties’ experts into conclaves.
Recycling company Sims Metal Management has responded to a shareholder class action ahead of a hearing on Tuesday, denying it breached its continuous disclosure obligations and partially placing the blame for any losses at the feet of group members.
A judge has consolidated two shareholder class actions brought against chain logistics company Brambles by Slater & Gordon and Maurice Blackburn, despite the rival firms failing to reach an agreement on the terms of the consolidation following a judge’s criticism of the class action “beauty parade”.
The Quintis shareholder class action trial could be delayed for almost two years, while ASIC runs its civil proceedings case against the founder of the sandalwood oil production company.
A judge has approved funding terms in a shareholder class action against facility services company Spotless Group under which the funders will get no more than 25 percent of any net settlement or judgment.
A judge has granted a bid to add former Radio Rentals CEO James Marshall and the beleaguered company’s insurer, AIG Australia, as respondents in a class action, over the protests of Marshall’s lawyer, who said his client couldn’t afford to pay for his defence.