The Full Federal Court has reimposed bans against four former directors of collapsed retirement village owner Prime Trust, including former federal health minister Michael Wooldridge, following a successful High Court challenge by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
Prosecutors will not lay charges against BlueScope Steel over an alleged price-fixing conspiracy, but its former general manager of sales faces possible jail time after being charged with obstructing the ACCC’s investigation.
Two name partners at law firm Tucker & Cowen have lost another attempt to dismiss a case brought against them by the receivers of failed fund manager Equititrust over $17.5 million in funds allegedly obtained by deceptive means.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s insurance unit, CommInsure, is facing 87 criminal charges for allegedly hawking life insurance products in unsolicited telephone calls.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has won its bid to use evidence from US proceedings in its case against Rio Tinto alleging the mining giant misled shareholders about a Mozambique mining company purchased for US$4.2 billion.
A former Ernst & Young principal jailed for at least nine years for his role in a $135 million tax fraud has lost a challenge to two NSW Supreme Court orders barring access to $150 million worth of assets.
An investigation by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has come under fire by the banks and directors targeted in a criminal case over alleged cartel conduct that claim the regulator “contaminated” key evidence and improperly used material supplied by ASIC.
Lawyers for former Citigroup executive Stephen Roberts have complained that prosecutors have failed to provide a “shred of material” to explain his alleged involvement in a criminal cartel relating to ANZ’s $2.5 billion capital raising, as the defendants fight to grill Crown witnesses before trial.
Holding Redlich national managing partner Ian Robertson has defended his reputation as a “good lawyer” while being cross-examined at ICAC over cover-up advice he strenuously denies giving to NSW Labor over the now infamous Aldi bag containing $100,000 in cash donations.
Holding Redlich national managing partner Ian Robertson has “categorically denied” that he advised the NSW Labor general secretary to cover up a $100,000 illegal political donation, telling ICAC that he “would never advise a client to behave in that manner”.