If evidence were needed that courts are not rubber stamping class action settlements, the scrutiny of multi-million dollar agreements in 2021 is proof positive that judicial oversight of representative proceedings is robust.
A group of banks that failed to prove steel giant Arrium falsified representations on loan drawdown notices ahead of its $2.8 billion collapse have been ordered to pay indemnity costs after a court found they rejected $10 million settlement offers three days into the trial.
Retail giant Cotton On has hit back at allegations of copyright infringement, highlighting the prevalence of copying in the fashion industry.
Australian clothing retailer Cotton On has taken rival surf and streetwear brand Ghanda to court over “unjustifiable” and “groundless” accusations of copyright and trade mark infringement.
Gadens has joined the salary hike frenzy spreading across the Australian legal market, announcing it will increase pay for all lawyers by 15 per cent.
Asset manager Aurora Funds has won its bid to toss a demand by law firm Piper Alderman for $119,335 in allegedly unpaid legal fees, with a judge finding the terms of a settlement deed between the parties may operate as a “penalty” for defaulting on payments.
A law firm representing a property developer in an investigation of a potential class action against failed asset manager Blue Sky Alternative Investments is seeking access to the firm’s insurance documents to decide whether it is “worthwhile” to launch proceedings.
As Australia’s largest cities prepare to emerge from lockdown, law firms are doubling down on their efforts to vaccinate staff, with some going so far as to implement a ‘no jab, no office’ policy.
Investment firm Keybridge Capital has brought action in court seeking to set aside a statutory demand for $165,000 issued by its former law firm and calling for an assessment of over $600,000 in legal bills.
A local government has been ordered to repay its residents the tens of thousands of dollars they spent on an invalid canal maintenance levy, in what was the first class action victory to be recorded in the Queensland Supreme Court.