A $19.6 million legal bill racked up by the law firm behind two 7-Eleven class actions accusing the convenience store chain of misleading franchisees did not warrant the appointment of a contradictor to a hearing seeking approval of a $98 million settlement, a court has heard.
An employment solicitor representing a sacked Jetstar pilot must pay the airline’s legal costs in defending an appeal application “that ought never to have been made”, an appeals court has found.
A judge has shot down what he called a “risky” but novel proposal by 7-Eleven for a pre-trial ruling on sample objections to the relevance of evidence in two franchise class actions.
Courts have power to order oral discovery of potential witnesses ahead of trial, according to the judge overseeing two 7-Eleven class actions by franchisees, but the cases against the convenience store giant were not the occasion to exercise the power, he said.
The lead plaintiffs in two class actions against 7-Eleven have appealed a decision rejecting the very first Federal Court application for oral discovery, which would have seen four former employees bound by confidentiality agreements give evidence.
Certification of pleadings in legal action is not a formality that needs to be “ticked off”, and solicitors who put their signature to improperly pleaded cases should face adverse costs, an irritated appeals judge has said.
A Federal Court judge overseeing two franchisee class actions against 7-Eleven has heard a landmark application for pre-trial oral discovery that could create another tool for lawyers to source evidence otherwise blocked by confidentiality agreements.
NAB has succeeded in blocking accused scammer Helen Rosamond and her executive services company Human Group from varying a freezing order in a case over an alleged $51 million fraudulent scheme so that she can pay her legal bills and living expenses.
The Full Federal Court will weigh in on whether common fund orders can be made at settlement in two class actions against 7-Eleven, with a hearing scheduled for the same day the NSW Court of Appeal will hear arguments on the unresolved issue.
A judge has ordered two class actions brought against 7-Eleven on behalf of franchisees to pay $3 million in security for costs as trial in the cases gets pushed to August next year.