Food dip producer Obela Fresh Dips & Spreads has won a $3 million judgment against a former director who defrauded the company of millions of dollars, lied about his wife’s suicide and fled the country.
In a year headlined by partisan sparring and mudslinging over the Federal Government’s class action reform effort, judges forged ahead to refine the class action regime, issuing significant judgments on common fund orders and class closure, and handing the first post-trial win to a company in a shareholder class action. Here, Lawyerly takes you through some of the major class action events in 2020 and their consequences for the year ahead.
Sydney businesswoman Melissa Caddick, who went missing a day after police raided her home two months ago as part of a fraud investigation, is believed to be alive, according to police.
Troubled food and beverage manufacturer Freedom Foods has denied a former company secretary and group general counsel was protected by whistleblower laws, claiming it was entitled to fire her for “serious misconduct”.
The founder of a charity that provides sleeping bags to homeless people has lost her unfair dismissal case after she went “to war” with the non-profit in the Fair Work Commission following a string of fraud charges levelled against her.
The publisher of American fashion and lifestyle magazine Vogue has failed in its challenge against registration of a ‘Vogue’ trade mark for bathroom supplies, with a delegate of IP Australia finding the conduct of the trade mark applicant was not of “unscrupulous, underhand or unconscientious” character.
The Australian Federal Police have arrested a second former high ranking executive associated with Leighton Holdings as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged foreign bribery.
Casino and mobile game giant Aristocrat Leisure has reached a settlement in its lawsuit against rival Ainsworth Game Technology that alleged a former employee stole trade secrets related to a lucrative slot machine.
Law firm Slater & Gordon has brought a class action against ANZ alleging former subsidiary OnePath Custodians breached its duties as a trustee of superannuation funds by slugging members with excessive fees to pay commissions to financial advisers.
Unions for 20,000 Qantas workers on stand-down orders amid the coronavirus pandemic have asked the High Court to overturn a ruling that they are not entitled to access paid sick or compassionate leave.