Judges

A judge has approved a $2.5 million penalty against two hearing aid retailers in the consumer regulator's case alleging the companies targeted vulnerable pensioners with misleading newspaper ads.

Judges do not have the power to approve a class action settlement without first issuing an opt-out notice to group members, the court-appointed contradictor in two shareholder class actions against online fashion retailer Surfstitch told the NSW Supreme Court Thursday.

Private education provider Ashley Services may be close to settling a shareholder class action, according to a court order sending the parties in the case to a second mediation session before the end of the year.

Generic Health has shaved two percent off the $25 million damages awarded pharmaceutical giant Bayer in a patent infringement case over Bayer's blockbuster oral contraceptive, Yasmin, but the discount is a far cry from the 15 percent it sought on appeal.

Actor Geoffrey Rush is seeking to suppress an amended defence by Nationwide News, arguing that if they're made public the amendments could cause him "irreparable harm".

A Federal Court judge has rejected a revised pleading in a class action against Ford over its allegedly defective PowerShift transmissions.

The administrators of collapsed startup Unlockd have withdrawn the company's case against Google alleging the search engine giant abused its dominance to keep it out of the digital ad market.

Generic drug maker Alphapharm has lost another bid for documents from Sanofi-Aventis in advance of a hearing on Sanofi's interlocutory application seeking to block the generic drug maker from listing its injector pen on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

Seven Network's former director of program partnerships is suing the national broadcaster for putting her on unpaid maternity leave and extending her non-compete period after she resigned for rival Network Ten.

A month after successfully arguing for the recusal of a state Supreme Court justice from an upcoming trial over the collapse of Queensland Nickel, Clive Palmer is calling for the replacement judge to step down, alleging he too is biased against him.