Lawyers for two competing class actions against the Commonwealth Bank of Australia over breaches of anti-money laundering laws say the cases can happily co-exist, but whether the court will agree may well depend on the outcome of a closely-watched appeal in a separate battle over multiple proceedings.
A judge on Friday will hear arguments in a bid by BHP Billiton to halt a class action over the mining giant’s Brazilian mine disaster, a sweeping case filed on behalf of investors who held the company’s shares in Australia, the UK or South Africa.
The first day of a liability hearing in a consumer case over GlaxoSmithKline’s marketing for its popular Voltaren products has seen an ACCC witness deflect accusations the regulator was vague about its misleading packaging concerns, placing the blame squarely on the pharmaceutical giant.
A settlement has been reached in two class actions brought on behalf of holders of debentures who allege they suffered losses due to Australian Executor Trustees’ mismanagement of debenture issuer Provident Capital.
The naming of Squire Patton Boggs as a concurrent wrongdoer in GetSwift’s defence puts the law firm in an “impossible position of conflict of interest” if it wins a challenge to an order staying its class action against the company, the Full Federal Court has been told ahead of a highly anticipated appeal hearing that promises to pull no punches.
Two generic drug makers have lost their bid for confidential documents related to Neurim Pharmaceuticals’ patents covering sleep drug Circadin, with a court ruling legal professional privilege was waived in a phone conversation between a DLA Piper lawyer and the company’s founder.
Two rival poppy processors are facing off in another courtroom battle over patents for high codeine-yielding poppy plants.
The former CEO of organic baby food producer Bellamy’s Australia has lost a legal battle over $1.2 million in options she claimed she was owed as part of a long-term financial incentives scheme.
Shareholders in a class action against Deloitte over the collapse of engineering company Hastie Group have won a major ruling against partners at the auditing firm who resisted handing over evidence to the class for fear of incriminating others at the accounting giant.
Johnson Winter & Slattery has been pulled into a class action against failed educational training company Vocation and its auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers, with the auditor saying the firm’s advice to Vocation constituted misleading and deceptive conduct.