A judge overseeing competing class actions against AMP over allegedly excessive superannuation fees has signed off on an agreement by two rival law firms to consolidate their cases, avoiding a potentially costly and drawn out beauty parade.
Grocon has won the right to appeal a $13.9 million interlocutory judgment in an ongoing lease dispute with property management firm Dexus, amid concerns that the construction company would be deemed insolvent if it was forced to pay the interim demand notice.
The judge overseeing proceedings brought against logistics company GetSwift has refused the corporate regulator’s request for another year’s worth of documents, saying it could effectively require the company to start the discovery process over again.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has lost a bid for the documents behind an Australian Federal Police warrant to search its headquarters, with a Federal Court judge criticising the media organisation for embarking on a “fishing expedition”.
The original solicitors who stepped down from leading a class action against Westpac unit BankSA amid abuse of process allegations will bring separate proceedings in the Federal Court seeking a bigger slice of the multi-million dollar settlement sum to cover their costs.
A senior partner at a Sydney-based law firm has denied he made a “deliberate decision” to withhold advice from a former client suing for alleged breach of duties and conflict of interest over a rejected $4.45 million settlement in an employment dispute with Westpac.
A restructuring and insolvency solicitor who is suing Russells Lawyers for summarily dismissing him has largely won a discovery dispute over evidence in the case, with a judge ruling the lawyer could access communications between any of the partners related to his termination two years ago.
The Federal Court will hear two high-stakes trade mark appeals by the a2 Milk Company together, after IP Australia delegates found two marks containing “a2”, which is a protein found in cow’s milk, were not inherently adapted to distinguish its products.
A competition lawsuit brought against NSW Ports has been stayed while a similar case brought by the competition regulator over an allegedly anti-competitive agreement to privatise Port Botany and Port Kembla moves forward.
A judge has refused an application to suppress the identity of a franchisee giving evidence in two class actions against 7-Eleven despite the individual’s fears he may lose his franchising licence as retaliation by the global convenience store giant.