Companies

Explaining his decision to reject a class action settlement that would have earned a law firm $1.75 million but provided nothing to 27,000 Woolworths employees, a judge has said the agreement created a conflict of interest between the solicitors and the workers they sought to set "adrift".

Bill Papas’ girlfriend Louise Agostino has hit back at Westpac’s lawsuit accusing her of involvement in the Forum Group director’s alleged $294 million fraud, denying all allegations and arguing that the bulk of the bank’s claims against her should be struck out.

Eleven women will give evidence of sexually inappropriate behaviour by actor Craig McLachlan in his defamation case against Rocky Horror Show co-star Christie Whelan Browne and publishers ABC and Fairfax, including one actress who worked with him on the set of Neighbours in the late 1980s. 

AMP has admitted two of its units charged customers fees for no service but denied it acted unconscionably in a case brought by the corporate regulator alleging it continued to charge advice fees and life insurance premiums to customers who had died. 

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has fired off a lawsuit against four drug companies for allegedly infringing one of its patents for biologic Enbrel by selling a biosimilar of the blockbuster arthritis drug in Australia.

Virgin Australia has struck back at a lawsuit by its former chief pilot alleging the airline sacked him for complaining of bullying and harassment by its CEO, saying it terminated the pilot's employment after he was deemed medically unfit for his role.

A parade of actors are expected to take the stand and testify against Craig McLachlan at a trial that kicked off Monday in his defamation case against Rocky Horror Show co-star Christie Whelan Browne and publishers ABC and Fairfax.

A class action over the failure of six managed investment schemes for eucalyptus wood in Tasmania has accused KPMG of failing to advise forestry giant Gunns that it had to tell growers about $720 million in financing it sought in 2007.

Bayer has dropped its appeal to a ruling that quashed an extension for its patent covering an oral contraceptive, after the Full Court dealt drug makers a blow in two separate cases on how patent term extensions should be calculated.

Ernst & Young has bolstered its disputes resolution and forensic accounting practice, acquiring Sydney-based firm Axiom Forensics.