An appeals court has slashed a damages judgment against international banknote manufacturer CCL Secure in a case alleging it tricked its Nigerian agent into signing away his commission, cutting the award from $65 million to $1.8 million.
Mortgage lending and investment firm RMBL Investments has been ordered to withdraw all communications with its customers that encouraged them to opt-out of a consumer protection class action against the firm.
A judge’s decision to pick Maurice Blackburn’s no win, no fee class action against AMP over three funded class actions puts the pressure on litigation funders, which will now face more competition from law firms prepared to go it alone, experts say. The ruling also shows the value courts place on funding arrangements that seek to maximise returns for class members, which means class action beauty parades are sure to get less ugly.
The High Court will not review an appeals court’s decision to approve a $64 million settlement in litigation over the failure of Banksia Securities while rejecting the funder’s commission and legal fees.
Parties in an ongoing four-and-a-half year long investor class action against Fitch Ratings have agreed to a second round of mediation after a prior attempt was adjourned without success.
A Queensland Supreme Court judge has given the green light for a $30 million settlement of a liquidator’s case against failed financial services firm LM Investment Management, saying the result was appropriate and “a matter of some public interest”.
Maurice Blackburn’s shareholder class action against AMP — the only action not backed by a litigation funder — has been picked as the winner in a fierce battle of law firms vying to lead a high stakes case over the wealth manager’s fees for no service scandal.
Accounting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers is resisting a notice to produce audit files in a consolidated shareholder class action over the collapse of education and training company Vocation, arguing its partners face a real risk of criminal and civil penalty proceedings and are entited to claim privilege against self-incrimination.
The threat of civil penalties is growing for troubled financial services provider IOOF, after the prudential regulator used its new superannuation powers to issue directions to two IOOF entities for failing to comply with licence conditions.
A ruling by a judge deciding a four-way contest to run a shareholder class action against AMP is expected this week, a judgment significant not just because it is the first time a court in Australia has been asked to choose among so many competing representative cases.