Competition & Consumer Protection

Cruise ship operator Carnival PLC has flagged a bid for indemnity costs after the lead applicant in a class action over a COVID-19 outbreak aboard the Ruby Princess rejected a $15 million settlement offer.

Australia’s merger review regime is “outdated” and in need of an overhaul, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, which says companies must explain why their acquisitions should get the all-clear.

Still in the dark about insurance coverage and seeking to stem the flow of cash, two class actions against Heritage Care and St Basil’s over COVID-19 outbreaks have been shelved pending the outcome of criminal cases against the Victorian aged care providers, in a decision the judge said “wouldn’t gladden the hearts of group members”. 

Construction giant Boral has lost its bid to block a class action from running a ‘novel’ argument that shareholders suffered loss because of natural fluctuations in share price, rather than as a direct result of alleged continuous disclosure breaches. 

Webb Henderson has snagged a leading litigation and regulatory partner from Corrs Chambers Westgarth to join its team in Sydney.

The latest judge to join the NSW Supreme Court has expressed a desire to foster a serious but collegiate environment for advocates and has remarked on the rising importance of legal directories for barristers. 

Finish detergent maker Reckitt Benckiser has thrown the latest punch in a long-running grudge match against rival Proctor & Gamble, with RB challenging a ruling that it made misleading claims about its popular dishwashing product.

A letter by King & Wood Mallesons was an unjustifiable threat of patent litigation against car accessories company Clearview, as was an announcement by the firm’s client MSA, but MSA’s director cannot be held liable as a joint tortfeasor under the Patents Act, a judge has found.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will conduct a one-year inquiry into supermarket pricing and competition amid concerns by consumers.

Care A2 Plus must hand over $675,000 in security for costs to pursue a $358 million cross-claim in a lawsuit by former business partner Gensco, after a judge found the infant formula company’s claims were a “counterattack”, and not merely defensive.