Deloitte is challenging a judge’s ruling that certain partners not be excused from an order to produce files of the accounting giant’s audit work for Hastie Group to shareholders in a class action over the construction company’s collapse, its latest move after a failed attempt to persuade the judge that a rogue partner had taken the only copies of the files and refused to give them back.
Class action experts have come to the defence of boutique law firm Phi Finney McDonald as heavyweight Maurice Blackburn appeals a judge’s ruling to choose the “less experienced” firm to lead a shareholder class action against BHP Billiton.
Maurice Blackburn has criticised a judge’s decision to award carriage of a massive shareholder class action against BHP over the fatal collapse of a dam at its Brazilian mine to “less experienced” firm Phi Finney McDonald, lodging what is now the second high-stakes challenge to a ruling permanently staying a competing class action.
Lawyerly spoke to ten class action experts on the release of the Australian Law Reform Commission’s highly anticipated report into the class action regime. While many of the ALRC’s proposals were expected — and welcomed as sensible — others were greeted with concern and skepticism. Here, we look at the most controversial of the 24 recommendations.
Responding to a judge’s criticism of the class action “beauty parade”, two rival law firms have come up with a plan to deal with their competing shareholder class actions against Brambles.
Clive Palmer has lost a fight to stay criminal proceedings alleging his company breached takeover laws, with a judge slamming the Queensland mining tycoon’s claims the charges were politically motivated and saying there was “nothing exceptional” to warrant interference from the court.
An appeals court has shut down a case brought by investment adviser Deep Investments against a solicitor and six others over $10 million in alleged share trading losses, saying the proceedings were an abuse of process.
GetSwift failed to disclose to investors that under an agreement announced with Amazon, the e-commerce giant had no obligation to use the logistics provider for any of its deliveries, according to new court documents filed in the shareholder class action against GetSwift and its founders.
ASIC is seeking approval from the High Court to appeal a judgment that let a former director of Gold Coast finance company MFS Group partially off the hook for $147.5 million in misappropriated funds, saying the High Court needs to clarify the scope of the word “officer” under the Corporations Act.
A judge who signed off on a contested $36.5 million settlement to resolve a $1 billion class action against Slater & Gordon has explained his reasons a year later, saying the “unusual” deal flowed from the law firm’s “dire financial situation”.