Contracts

Australian beauty and skincare retailer Mecca has triumphed in a lawsuit brought against US makeup brand Hourglass, which tried to terminate an exclusive distribution agreement because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Virgin Australia has walked back part of its COVID-19 vaccination policy after the union representing aircraft maintenance engineers received hundred of complaints about the requirement that they provide their Individual Health Identifier as part of proof of their vaccination status.

Canadian fast food restaurant Freshii is suing its Australian master franchiser for alleged "extensive failures" to pay what was owed under the franchising agreement and a decision to open eight restaurants in Australia without permission.

A judge has granted a 21-day stay of a lawsuit brought by Acciona, a Spanish infrastructure company seeking to use COVID-19 as a reason to back out of its construction contract for the $696 million Kwinana waste-to-energy plant, and has warned the company it faces a difficult task to persuade the court of its case.

Law firm HWL Ebsworth has dodged a $424,000 damages claim by a Brisbane property developer, despite a judge finding the law firm was negligent in failing to properly follow its client's instructions on a contract of sale for large block of units.

Spanish infrastructure company Acciona has filed a lawsuit to get out of an engineering and construction contract for the $696 million Kwinana waste-to-energy plant in Western Australia, citing disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic.

A lawyer for Rentokil has told a court the pest control company is scratching its head over the defence by a former manager accused of a $3.2 million fraudulent invoice scheme, noting the employee admits invoices were paid into his personal account.

Construction equipment giant Caterpillar has resolved its dispute with a former employee accused of flagrantly copying "many thousands" of confidential files before taking a job with a competitor.

Law firm Sparke Helmore acted negligently by failing to adequately advise a New South Wales property developer about extension of time notices that were needed to prevent two lucrative contracts from falling through, a judge has found.

The Finance Sector Union has launched legal proceedings in the Fair Work Commission against the Commonwealth Bank for allegedly sacking an employee who breached a “draconian” salary secrecy clause.