Matthew Darke

As it readies its civil penalty suit against tech company Nuix for trial, ASIC has flagged a possible dispute about the extent of penalty privilege pleaded by a handful of former and current directors named in the case.

The Full Court has dealt a blow to a sacked Greenwoods & Herbert Smith Freehills partner seeking $13 million in compensation from his former firm and Lendlease, finding new whistleblower protections do not apply retrospectively to cover his claims.

A class action against Virgin Australia has become a lawyers’ feast, with seven new firms entering the ring after a dozen insurers were joined to the action alleging the airline failed to disclose its true financial position in a $324 million capital raising prospectus.

A Blue Sky director has pointed the finger at auditor Ernst & Young in a class action alleging the collapsed investment firm misled shareholders by misstating its assets under management. 

SkyCity has set aside $45 million for its legal costs and a possible penalty in AUSTRAC proceedings alleging it allowed $4 billion in suspicious transactions at its casino.

A PricewaterhouseCoopers partner may launch defamation proceedings against the professional services firm over two press releases which he says falsely linked him to a tax leaks scandal in an attempt to “offer scapegoats” to the public. 

Shine Lawyers has lost its bid to recover $32 million in interest on a loan it took out to run two pelvic mesh class actions against Johnson & Johnson, with a judge finding it would make a “marginal settlement less than reasonable”.

Shine Lawyers’ bid to recoup "exorbitant" interest on a loan it took out to run pelvic mesh class actions against Johnson & Johnson has raised new ethical dilemmas beyond the usual "sweaty palms and huge vexation" in most group proceedings, a judge has said.

A judge overseeing a class action accusing Virgin Australia of failing to disclose its true financial position in a $324 million capital raising prospectus has joined a dozen insurers to the proceeding, which he said had "regrettably languished".

SkyCity may be the first company to test the strength of AUSTRAC's claims in court, according to a judge who recently said in a separate case that the regulator's habit of agreeing to penalties could give rise to a "moral hazard".