A judge has suggested hearing the long-running class action over the Opal Tower disaster as early as the first quarter of next year, as the court juggles three concurrent lawsuits and a slew of cross-claims over the doomed building.
Allowing former senior barrister Norman O’Bryan to reopen his defence in the Banksia class action while “avoiding the witness box” was clearly prejudicial, and futile to boot, a judge has said in his reasons for refusing the silk’s last-minute application.
The Full Federal Court has ruled that unconscionable conduct under the Australian Consumer Law is not confined to exploitation of vulnerable parties, in an “extremely significant” judgment that will extend the reach of the unconscionable conduct provisions and protect a wider swathe of consumers.
Peters Ice Cream has denied claims by the ACCC that it signed an agreement for the exclusive distribution of its single serve ice creams to service stations and convenience stores in order to ice competitors out of the market, saying competitors had many options for serving up their frozen treats to ice cream lovers.
Whistleblower JPMorgan can’t be a witness in a criminal cartel case over a $2.5 billion ANZ share placement that has ensnared several investment banks and top executives and claim privilege over witness statements relevant to the case, a court has heard.
Once high-flying barrister Norman O’Bryan might seek to challenge a refusal by the judge overseeing the Banksia class action to revisit his abandoned defence and accept into evidence a document he claims proved he did not secretly hold shares in the funder behind the case.
A judge has approved a “disappointing” $25 million settlement in long-running class action litigation over the collapse of electronics retailer Dick Smith with claims worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
The litigation funding company controlled by the late solicitor Mark Elliott has told a court of its “remorse and regret” for its misconduct in the Banksia Securities class action, a case that has been described as the “darkest chapter in Victoria’s legal history”.
A judge has issued an injunction temporarily barring use of the RestQ trade mark on sleep products sold by Martin & Pleasance because of a “disturbing” number of similarities with the marketing and appearance of an established competitor’s Rescue natural sleep aid product.
The son of Banksia class action funder Mark Elliott was no Michael Corleone of the Godfather, and was not knowingly complicit in an alleged scheme masterminded by his father to defraud group members and destroy evidence, his lawyer has told a court.