A judge who will oversee an upcoming hearing for approval of a $20 million settlement in a class action against Optus contractor BSA has urged the parties to sever the funder’s commission and costs from the settlement to avoid delays in distribution to group members.
The ruling by the Full Federal Court that funded class actions are not managed investment schemes marks the end of an ill-considered regime enacted by the Morrison government to rein in class actions, but the debate over regulation of litigation funders is not over yet.
Mills Oakley has poached a leading employment law partner from King & Wood Mallesons for its growing workplace relations team.
Big six firm Allens has bolstered the ranks of its employment and safety practice with the recruitment of partner Samantha Betzien from MinterEllison.
The former CEO of failed electronics retailer Dick Smith should be held responsible for approving two dividend payments worth $28.5 million which the company could not afford to pay given it owed millions in unpaid bank loans and supplier debts, an appeals court has heard.
The High Court has been asked to wade into the debate over whether artificial intelligence can be named as an inventor on patent applications, after the Full Court overturned a landmark victory for AI pioneer Dr Stephen Thaler.
Ford is seeking an extended hearing of its appeal from a class action judgment in favour of 185,000 vehicle owners over their allegedly defective cars, saying a “significant excavation” of the ruling is now in order.
A judge overseeing a shareholder class action against Crown Resorts has ordered the casino giant to give details of board members’ knowledge about two bank accounts which were allegedly used to launder hundreds of millions of dollars.
A judge has panned ASIC’s bid to discover a wide range of privileged communications between super fund REST and various legal advisers, finding the regulator used a “very wide net” to catch nothing at all.
The Full Court has overturned a landmark judgment which found artificial intelligence can be named as an inventor on patent applications, in a decision which brings Australia in line with findings from courts in the UK, US and EU.