An attempt by applicants in two franchisee class actions against 7-Eleven to limit communications between the convenience store giant and group members ahead of a hearing to approve a confidential settlement with ANZ, the bank that loaned money to the franchisees, unfairly delays approval of the settlement until next year, a court has heard.
The Federal Court has approved a $14.6 million class action settlement with private training company Ashley Services, auditors Deloitte and Grant Thornton, and Holmes Management Group, with IMF Bentham set to pocket around $4.8 million for funding the litigation.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has raised competition concerns about rural supply giant Landmark’s proposed $469 million takeover of competitor Ruralco, a move that would consolidate two of the three largest players in the rural merchandise market.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has come up short again in its challenge to Pacific National’s $205 million acquisition of competitor Aurizon’s Queensland freight terminal, with a judge shooting down the regulator’s request for a variation of Pacific’s undertaking that it will not block third parties from accessing the terminal.
More than 55 percent of the 154 settlements reached in federal class actions in Australia are lacking critical information about the deal, and the extensive use by judges of confidentiality orders is partly to blame, according to a new paper by a leading class action expert.
Banking giant Westpac has settled an investor class action brought by Levitt Robinson for its alleged role in an unregistered managed investment scheme.
Slater and Gordon is looking to significantly expand its class action against National Australia Bank over the sale of “worthless” credit card insurance to include personal loan customers who were sold allegedly unsuitable insurance policies.
A class action against the NSW government over a contractor who sold the personal details of 130 ambulance workers to personal injury law firms has flagged it may subpoena the founder and principal of Bannister Law, which purchased the confidential information.
Maurice Blackburn has hit back at a lawsuit by State Street Global Advisors over the law firm’s use of a replica of its Fearless Girl statue, denying it has infringed the asset manager’s intellectual property.
Shine Lawyers and Slater & Gordon on Tuesday denied media reports that the two law firms were in merger talks or that there were any imminent plans for a union.