Employment

Accenture has succeeded in a bid to keep a lid on court documents in a Fair Work claim by a former human resources executive ahead of mediation — the second recent suppression order of its kind made by the Federal Court.

A former EY partner who was ousted after the tax office claimed he had promoted a $700,000 tax exploitation scheme has argued he is entitled to claim privilege over communications with the accounting firm’s general counsel and an external barrister, despite EY having waived it. 

A judge has rejected AFL great Phil Krakouer’s request for extensive game footage before putting on an amended claim in a racial vilification class action against the league, which is expected to bring five clubs into the proceeding. 

The High Court has taken up the ACCC’s boycott case against builder J Hutchinson and the controversial construction union, an appeal that gives the court the chance to clarify the standard for proving an anti-competitive arrangement.

A judge appears reluctant to allow Element Zero to cross-examine an external lawyer hired by mining company Fortescue over alleged “egregious material non-disclosure” during Fortescue’s bid for “extreme and unorthodox” search orders against the green startup’s founders.

The Victorian Bar has welcomed 25 new senior counsel to the ranks this year, a group of barristers with broad ranging experience in IP, tax, class actions, employment and criminal law.

A fair work claim against the University of Canberra by the former deputy general counsel of Australian National University has been dismissed, with the Fair Work Commission finding she had no reason to think her fixed contract would not terminate at the agreed date, especially considering her legal background. 

Super Retail Group has made a bid to disqualify the solicitors of its former chief legal officer, who has sued the company to enforce an alleged settlement. But the Rebel Sport owner may have to defend a duelling application to disqualify its own solicitors, from Big Six firm Allens.

It would only have been possible for start-up Element Zero to deliver an operational green iron prototype in two years with its assumed funding with the help of a “substantial amount of information” on how the project should progress, metals giant Fortescue claims.

Transurban has settled a lawsuit by the former head of legal for its West Gate Tunnel project alleging she was made redundant after complaining about a “culture of fear and intimidation on the project”.