The makers or popular opioid drugs like OxyContin and Fentanyl may face a class action in Australia by consumers who allege they suffered financial loss from the addictive drugs.
While these unprecedented and challenging times are placing profound pressure on the operations and financial position of businesses, it’s important to remember that companies are not exempt from complying with the competition and consumer laws. King & Wood Mallesons’ Peta Stevenson, Caroline Coop, Lisa Huett and Simon Cook give companies a guide to navigating unexpected challenges when dealing with competitors, consumers and other parties during the COVID-19 health crisis.
A judge overseeing a class action against National Australia Bank over ‘junk insurance’ has ordered that potential group members be given information about cancelling the policies, but not before taking the applicants to task for not having the polices automatically cancelled as part of the $49.5 million settlement.
The developers behind the Governor Place residential complex in Canberra have reached a settlement in a class action by aparment owners seeking $6.3 million in GST payments on their units.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will scale back its use of certain investigatory tools, such as compulsory examinations, amid the strain on Australian businesses from the spread of COVID-19.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will allow Regional Express to coordinate with Qantas and Virgin on certain regional routines during the coronavirus pandemic.
The lead applicants in two class actions against 7-Eleven are considering bringing a contempt of court motion against the convenience store giant after the Full Federal Court derailed their challenge to prior orders allowing the company to seek litigation releases from franchisees.
After almost five years of litigation, a Federal Court judge said he will approve a $127.1 million settlement of five class actions against Volkswagen over the diesel emissions scandal, but appeared unwilling to sign off on a 25 per cent uplift in fees sought by one of the plaintiffs firms.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has taken swift action to allow medical technology companies to coordinate on supplying ventilators, protective gear and other equipment in high demand due to the coronavirus.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has approved Coles’ planned acquisition of chilled meals supplier Jewel, saying the sale was better for competition than the liquidation of Jewel’s assets.