Car giant General Motors, which faces a class action by former Holden franchisees, wants to strip the case of class status, arguing that “idiosyncrasies” in group member claims could result in further lawsuits even after a judgment in the case.
Tabcorp and its Tatts unit have filed three proceedings against the ATO this year, with the gambling giants asking the court to allow a total of $538 million in deductions for gambling licences in three states over three financial years.
A settlement reached in a lawsuit by the liquidators of collapsed steel giant Arrium against 10 former company directors accused of insolvent trading has been approved by a judge, who noted that while the settlement amount was “substantial”, the deal involved a “substantial compromise”.
7-Eleven has reached an in-principle agreement to settle two class actions which accused the convenience store giant of misleading franchisees and underpaying employees at its stores.
The High Court has declined to hear a case that challenges the power of judges to make common fund orders at the close of litigation, a challenge the Federal Court had labelled “hypothetical”.
Two executives of failed car washing franchise Geowash have failed in their attempt to overturn a $2.7 million penalty for overcharging and misleading franchisees, with the Full Court finding they had engaged in “a consistent pattern of conduct which was deceitful and dishonest”.
The power to make common fund orders in class actions is a question before the High Court a second time, but the justices aren’t likely to quell the conflict simmering in the courts below, at least until they have a concrete order before them.
Tabcorp-owned Tatts Group has appealed a finding from the Commissioner of Taxation that it cannot deduct a $120 million lotto licence from it assessable income for the 2017 financial year.
A judge has awarded $43 million to National Australia Bank in its lawsuit against former directors of failed retailer Dick Smith, but threw out claims against company directors brought by HSBC and the retailer’s receivers.
Opal Tower builder Icon and structural engineer WSP Structures have been joined as defendants in a class action brought by property owners, who have also added a slew of consumer law claims to the complex proceedings.