A leading barrister has been appointed by the NSW premier to head an inquiry to investigate the docking and disembarking of the Ruby Princess cruise ship, now linked to 18 COVID-19 related deaths.
Arguing that the court should not be “baulking at problems that have the potential to occur”, counsel for a class action against Ford is pushing back against a bid by the car maker to put the brakes on an upcoming virtual trial the company says will be too difficult and costly.
Sandalwood producer Quintis has agreed to settle two class actions by shareholders, but the claims against company founder Frank Wilson and auditor EY will proceed for now.
WA-based land developer Tina Bazzo and her partner Allen Caratti have failed in their challenge to a ruling that liquidators’ examinations should not be held in private despite a large scale ongoing criminal investigation of the pair.
Lamenting that he now has less flexibility to manage commission rates, a judge has called for legislative intervention to give courts authority to regulate funding arrangements at the outset of class actions, a power stripped from them by the High Court late last year.
A fair trial cannot be conducted in a virtual courtroom, the judge overseeing the criminal case against former NSW Labor ministers Eddie Obeid and Ian Macdonald has said in adjourning their hearing for five months.
Fashion designer Victoria Beckham has lost her opposition to two trade marks owned by Sydney-based skincare company VB Skinlab, despite IP Australia finding the former Spice Girl’s VB marks have a reputation in Australia.
Herbert Smith Freehills is reducing partner profit distributions as part of cost-cutting measures in the face of uncertainty wrought by the coronavirus pandemic, and staff salary reviews have been postponed by six months.
Two gynaecologists have lost their bid to dismiss a negligence lawsuit brought by a patient implanted with a Johnson & Johnson pelvic mesh device found by a judge overseeing a related class action to have been defective.
Event promoter TEG Live will refund $5 million to more than 5,000 sports fans who bought 20,000 tickets to see the Boomers play USA and Canada last year, after admitting it made misleading claims about seating at the basketball games.