Region

A funder bankrolling a class action against the NSW government over the construction of Sydney’s $16 billion Westconnex tunnel is locked in a dispute with the lead applicants over $135,000 held in a trust account, and wants to replace the plaintiffs and their solicitors, the third group of lawyers to run the case.

A judge has ordered Seven West-owned publication The West Australian to pay a former public servant $180,000 in damages over an article about an allegation of fraud that had “a sensationalist overtone”.

K&L Gates has lured three partners from rival firms to bolster its corporate, IP and real estate offerings across the country, including a former principal of Davies Collison Cave. 

Senior South Australian barristers have called on the state’s top judge to retract public statements reportedly made in support of moves by the Attorney-General to abolish the King’s Counsel title, but the judge has told the indignant members of the Bar his comments were taken out of context.

The lead applicants are seeking to drop a class action against the Northern Territory government over its alleged failure to properly fund essential health services and interpreting services in remote Indigenous communities.

The former chief executive officer of the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency has won her case alleging she was unfairly dismissed after complaining about the CFO, with a judge finding there was “extreme” unfairness in the decision to terminate.

A former ATO worker who accused his employer of using heavy handed debt collection tactics against taxpayers has lost his second bid for immunity from prosecution, with an appeals court finding that whistleblowing laws only protect the disclosure itself. 

Melbourne mattress and bedding start-up Sleeping Duck is seeking preliminary discovery of communications between former employees and rival company Eva Sleep, including correspondence allegedly containing financial information and trade secrets. 

A judge has ordered Transport for NSW to only pay 65 per cent of the costs of a class action over Sydney’s $3 billion light rail construction, finding it was not inappropriate to apportion costs even though the plaintiffs were largely successful.

An arrangement to restructure Queensland labour hire services company Comlek has survived a challenge by the state’s revenue office, which wanted the business wound up, claiming the restructure was against public interest and commercial morality.