Companies

Regional Express has engaged Big Six firm Clayton Utz to investigate potential court action against rival airline Qantas for alleged anticompetitive conduct.

A litigation funder is suing a Sydney property developer over a $14.8 million debt stemming from a cause of action it acquired from the liquidators of the collapsed project manager behind the firm's real estate projects.

An ABC feature reporter who was hit with an $18,000 pay cut and who allegedly developed a medical condition from being "overworked" is suing the national broadcaster for discrimination and breaches of employment law.

Trial in war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith's defamation case over articles accusing him of war crimes has been adjourned until November in light of the current COVID-19 lockdown in Sydney, which a judge noted could be extended beyond the month of August.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has won its case against IOOF unit RI Advice, with a judge finding the financial services firm failed to ensure its advisers acted in the best interests of clients and did not give inappropriate advice.

Westpac has told the Federal Court it has "grave concerns" about Forum Group founder Bill Papas' evidence of his assets, contained in affidavits lodged on Thursday after weeks of non-compliance with a judge's orders.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has hit financial services provider AMP with court action over fees-for-no-service conduct that allegedly led to upwards of $600,000 being unlawfully withdrawn from superannuation member accounts.

Qantas has lost a case brought by the Transport Workers Union that challenged the airline’s decision to axe 2,000 staff and replace them with “insecure” labour hire workers, with a judge finding Qantas boss Andrew David outsourced ground operations partly to prevent employees engaging in industrial action.

Former Attorney-General Christian Porter has succeeded in scrubbing from the court record the ABC's full defence in his now-settled defamation suit against the broadcaster, over the protests of media outlets, with a judge finding the principle of open justice was "not absolute".

A judge weighing a dispute between ASIC and the Commonwealth Bank over whether notice of a $7 million penalty should be sent out through the bank's Commbank app has questioned the usefulness of adverse publicity notices and whether they should be ditched for higher pecuniary penalties in the future.