Contracts

A judge has declined a bid by former United Petroleum franchisees to stay two Federal Court proceedings in light of a class action against the petrol giant over the introduction of loss-making Pie Face stores, finding the suits have little in common.

A judge has ordered a litigation funder and the lead applicant in a settled class action to personally mediate a stoush over expenses, saying he doubted the applicant's $1.2 million claim and said the court is "not a place for their sport”.

An appeals court has thrown out a $285,000 negligence judgment against Sparke Helmore over two sales contracts worth $1.5 million and rejected a NSW developer’s attempts to squeeze the law firm for a heftier damages bill.

Insurer Bond & Credit Company has lost its appeal of a decision ordering it to indemnify an Australian non-bank lender that provided $8 million in trade finance to companies in Phoenix Group shortly before its collapse.

Clive Palmer's Queensland Nickel and three other Palmer-related entities have been ordered to pay $44.5 million (US$30.8 million) to litigation funder Vannin Capital for defaulting on a loan for a private jet.

Nuix has defeated a lawsuit by ex-CEO Edward Sheehy alleging he was owed $183 million in options under a 2008 agreement, with a judge finding the options could only be exercised if the company was sold.

A former McDonald’s franchisee has lost his challenge to a privilege claim by the fast food giant in his lawsuit alleging he was wrongly dropped after questioning his neighbour’s Indigenous identity in a 2019 viral video recording an altercation over an Aboriginal flag.

United Petroleum has been hit with a class action on behalf of franchisees who allege they suffered loss when the petrol giant installed loss-making Pie Face stores at its franchise sites.

Japanese bank SMBC has foreshadowed an application to add claims against Humm Group after the fintech's subsidiary allegedly misled the bank about receivables under contracts forged by a Forum Group entity.

A judge has found Downer Energy was responsible for a costly shutdown at a NSW power plant caused by a “practically unthinkable” defect.