Judges

A judge has consolidated competing shareholder class actions against builder Lendlease brought by rival plaintiffs law firms, but has rejected the firms' bid to jointly run the litigation and says one of them must go.

HWL Ebsworth claims it was justified in firing a former partner for being dishonest about why he printed out confidential material, as the firm challenges a $450,000 unfair dismissal judgment.

Shareholders have appealed a ruling that found a "serious problem" with market-based causation and dismissed three cases against the liquidator of failed global financial services firm Babcock & Brown.

Johnson & Johnson did not adequately warn of the risks of its pelvic mesh implants and is liable to pay damages to thousands of Australian women who suffered severe injuries from the devices, a judge has ruled in a long awaited decision in a class action launched more than seven years ago.

An educational service provider owned by national bookstore chain Dymocks has been sued for "flagrant" trade mark infringement by a tech-focused private equity fund.

The National Australia Bank and insurer MLC have agreed to pay $49.5 million to settle a class action over allegedly worthless credit card insurance.

Gilbert + Tobin is seeking to shut down a lawsuit brought by a firm owned by Sydney business owners Charif and Tarek Kazal after the Federal Court gave the company one last chance to fix what a judge called the "simply incomprehensible" pleadings.

Australian liquor retailer D'Aquino Bros has settled a trade mark infringement lawsuit brought by the UK's Scotch Whisky Association, after agreeing to injunctions barring it from peddling its brew as Scotch.

Wealth management company Clime Capital and its CEO have been sued by a former chief investment officer who claims he was fired after complaining about a conflict of interest within the firm.

Sustainable tech firm Papyrus Australia has lost its bid to throw out a $750,000 defamation case brought against it by an ex-managing director, which alleges the omission of his name in the company's 2018 annual report was akin to calling him a liar.