Fresh off the back of a $212.5 million settlement in three class actions over the Defence Department’s use of fire-fighting foam, Shine Laywers has launched another class action over the toxic chemical on behalf of 40,000 residents across Australia.
A Federal Court judge has praised an attempt by Shine Lawyer’s head of litigation to create an audio-visual opt out notice for its insurance class action against Westpac, but jokingly remarked that her performance would not win her any acting plaudits.
A leading barrister has been appointed by the NSW premier to head an inquiry to investigate the docking and disembarking of the Ruby Princess cruise ship, now linked to 18 COVID-19 related deaths.
The coronavirus has forged changes in the legal profession that will outlast the pandemic itself, leading to greater flexibility and efficiencies in an industry steeped in tradition and notably slow to adopt new technologies, sources told Lawyerly.
The Commonwealth of Australia has called for the appointment of an amicus to scrutinise the $212.5 million settlement reached in several class action against it over allegedly toxic firefighting foam used on government military bases.
Johnson & Johnson has appealed a ruling awarding the three lead applicants in a class action over its pelvic mesh products a combined $2.6 million in damages, after a judge found the company failed to adequately warn women of the implants’ risks.
Police have launched a criminal investigation of the circumstances surrounding last month’s docking in Sydney of the Ruby Princess cruise ship, which is now linked to 11 deaths from COVID-19.
As law firms and funders scramble to keep up with COVID-19’s impact on the legal landscape, some have gone above and beyond in creating new technological and service solutions for clients in these unprecedented times.
A judge has approved a notice in a class action against Westpac alerting group members that an “expense sharing order” will be sought by the applicants if or when the case settles, the first ruling of its kind since the High Court struck down common fund orders.
With a large number of lawyers now working from home amid the coronavirus crisis, law firms are getting creative, turning to virtual yoga, cocktail deliveries and more to maintain the health and well-being of their staff.