Class action settlement totals skyrocketed to over $900 million last year, and one law firm negotiated the lion’s share, with $672 million in settlements under its belt.
La Trobe Financial Asset Management will pay just $750,000 for misleading investors in its 48 hour and 90 day notice accounts over a period of more than three years, with a judge saying the company would have faced a penalty “well in excess” of this amount if not for reassuring correspondence from ASIC during its investigation.
A judge has expressed hesitation about a $750,000 penalty proposed by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission in its misleading advertisement case against $5.15 billion credit fund La Trobe Financial Asset Management, calling the amount “very, very modest”.
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.
Convenience store giant 7-Eleven has agreed to pay $98 million to settle two class actions accusing it of misleading franchisees, the largest class action settlement reached so far this year.
7-Eleven has reached an in-principle agreement to settle two class actions which accused the convenience store giant of misleading franchisees and underpaying employees at its stores.
A Victoria Supreme Court judge has rejected a post-trial bid to keep details of the 2019 sale of Cargill’s malt business under wraps in a long-running case over Viterra’s $420 million sale of its Joe White business, finding the move would be contrary to the principles of open justice where no harm from disclosure had been demonstrated.
The Commonwealth Bank of Australia has told a judge there’s no chance it will admit to ASIC’s allegations that it accepted conflicted remuneration through the sale of its Essential Super product, likening the matter to ASIC’s failed ‘Wagyu and shiraz’ case against Westpac.
A judge has approved an application to join the insurer of a former doctor into a class action seeking compensation for defective pelvic mesh implants and wants to fast-track the matter for trial next year.
Medical device maker Covidien has lost a bid to have the applicant in a product liability class action over allegedly defective pelvic mesh front $300,000 as security for its legal costs in the event it wins the case.