With Victoria set to pass legislation permitting law firms to charge contingency fees, experts have raised fears of an exodus of class actions from other states and the federal system. But the Federal Court, which hears about two-thirds of Australia’s representative proceedings, is not likely to surrender easily.
The lead applicant in a shareholder class action against laser technology company Arasor will walk away with a fraction of the approximately $508,000 in legal and other bills it has racked up in disputes with the ATO and funder International Litigation Partners following the approval of a $19.25 million class action settlement more than two years ago.
The High Court’s recent ruling putting a stop to the practice of judges issuing common fund orders at the early stages of class action proceedings, while “not a good development”, wasn’t the end of the class action regime as we know it, a Federal Court judge has said.
Two shareholder class actions against failed electronics retailer Dick Smith will head to trial in March, after a failed attempt to resolve the long-running dispute in mediation.
A leading class action and insolvency litigator at Squire Patton Boggs is leaving the firm to launch a boutique outfit with plans to shake up the legal industry, including by bringing class actions on a contingency fee basis.
A Gold Coast development property procured through a settlement with a Sydney-based financial advisory firm facing two separate class actions can be sold to recoup losses by investors who sank over $14 million into a property investment scheme, a court has found.
The NSW government has flagged a possible challenge to a class action over Sydney’s $3 billion delayed light rail project as the four-week trial scheduled for June is pushed back another year to allow time for more discovery.
Maurice Blackburn has become the second law firm to consider a shareholder class action against Treasury Wine Estates over a recent earnings downgrade.
The funder behind the recently resolved shareholder class action against teleco Vocus will ask a judge to make a common fund order at a hearing to approve a $35 million settlement of the case, the first common fund order since the High Court appeared to put the kibosh on them.
A class action brought against 7-Eleven claims the convenience store chain ordered franchisees to purchase goods from supplier C-Store so that 7-Eleven could meet its obligation under a contract with the Metcash-owned supplier.