Employment

A judge has questioned a class action firm’s claim that it and its counsel spent 180 hours and $63,000 in fees preparing pleadings in an underpayments class action against supermarket chain Drakes, saying the number of hours was not “reasonable”.

A law firm has lost its bid to appoint a costs referee after reaching a $5.8 million class action settlement with the On The Run convenience store chain, saying it was “hurtful” for a judge to suggest the firm wanted to “maximise its position” over group members.

Ten’s general manager, Brisbane has filed a lawsuit alleging the media company owes her $330,000 in bonuses.

A judge has ordered Hillsong to file its defence to a lawsuit alleging extensive financial misconduct by the megachurch, including that it funnelled donations through US bank accounts to skirt Australian charity regulations.

Workplace relations heavyweight Employsure has suffered a partial defeat in appeals brought by rival ELMO Software and two former employees seeking to jump ship to a competitor.

Teleco contractor BSA, which resolved a class action by its workforce for $20 million, won’t be recouping the costs of legal action to exclude a $13 million capital raising from the settlement.

The former general manager of Okta has sued the tech company for allegedly terminating him on the eve of his retirement to avoid a transfer of over 2,000 shares owed under his employment contract. 

A judge has rejected a class action law firm’s challenge to her decision to slash its fees in two underpayments class actions against supermarket chain Romeo’s after finding it “seriously breached” rules of the legal profession. 

A judge has approved a $2.2 million settlement in a class action on behalf of Drakes store managers who were allegedly underpaid but has deferred her approval of fees charged by the law firm — the same firm that saw its fees cut in two similar class actions.

A judge has raised concerns about the utility of referring a satellite dispute over whistleblower protections to the Full Court in a $13 million lawsuit brought by an ex-Greenwoods & Herbert Smith Freehills partner.