Colonial First State hit with class action over alleged excessive insurance premiums

Commonwealth Bank (ASX: CBA) subsidiary Colonial First State is now facing its third class action lawsuit as Shine Lawyers follows in the footsteps of Maurice Blackburn and Slater & Gordon. The law firm alleges customers were slugged excessive insurance premiums. Shine alleges on behalf of "thousands of Australians" that...

Class action launched against NAB alleging superannuation "rip off"

More than 330,000 account holders at National Australia Bank (ASX: NAB) will be represented in a class action lawsuit against the banking giant, alleging customers were paying more than they should have in fees. The class action, filed in the Victorian Supreme Court by law firm Maurice Blackburn this morning, has been launched on behalf o...

Trivago misled travellers by promoting more expensive hotels

Hotel comparison site Trivago has been found by the federal court to have misled consumers by promoting hotels that pay for the coveted top spot on the platform. If you've seen the endless ads run by Germany-based Trivago on TV or online, you'll know their prerogative is to help customers find the cheapest hotel rate possible. ...

Smoothie Bombs' 'cybersquatting' case is a lesson for every business owner

In this modern era, having a good product and a strong sales plan in place is just one part of the equation for retail success. As marketing, sales, promotion and products are more online than ever before, ensuring your intellectual property is in place and sufficiently protected is essential. One Australian founder learned this the h...

Former Guvera CEO banned from managing companies

Darren Herft, the former CEO of music streaming platform Guvera, has been banned from managing corporations for a period of two years by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). Herft's ban follows the failure of four companies within the Guvera group which collapsed in June 2017. Guvera was founded in 2008 by ...

Domino's to be served with fresh Federal Court claim by franchisee

Brisbane-based Domino's Pizza Enterprises (ASX: DMP) and its high-profile managing director Don Meij (pictured) will soon be served with a claim in the Federal Court by one of their long-term franchisees. As reported by The Courier Mail, the franchisee in question is Perth-based fast-food veteran Frederick Aloysius Mario White. Wh...

Blackbook.ai and IRIQ Law build AI legal advisor

Like seeing the dentist, booking an appointment with a doctor, or finding time to get your computer fixed, hiring a lawyer is often pushed into the Too Hard Basket. Complicated legalese, the looming bills, and the simple fact of time often intimidate many into simply moving on with life despite there being a good chance that a lawyer coul...

Volkswagen slammed with record $125 million penalty

German car manufacturer Volkswagen has been ordered to pay $125 million in penalties by the Australian Federal Court after breaching consumer law by making false or misleading representations. Volkswagen's $125 million fine is the largest total penalty order ever made by the Federal Court for contraventions of Consumer Law. The pe...

Phi Finney McDonald launches class action against Westpac

Westpac's (ASX: WBC) alleged 23 million contraventions of the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act (AML/CTF Act) continue to give the bank a pounding migraine. AUSTRAC's investigation into Westpac has fuelled the ire of shareholders, and Phi Finney McDonald will represent them in a class action against the big ...

NAB could face multi-billion dollar fine over alleged fees for no service conduct

The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) isn't going easy on National Australia Bank (ASX: NAB) this holiday season. The watchdog announced yesterday that it has taken the big four bank to court over alleged fees for no service (FFNS) conduct, uncovered initially during the Royal Commission into the banking and finan...

Oscar Wylee accused of misleading customers about donating glasses to charity

Youth-leaning eyewear company Oscar Wylee has been taken to the Federal Court by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) for allegedly misleading customers. The allegations revolve around a campaign run by Oscar Wylee during which the eyewear company said it would donate a pair of glasses to someone in need every time a ...

Federal Government to crack down on tech giants

A $27 million investment into the ACCC and a brand new code of conduct are part of the Federal Government's raft of reforms intended to crack down on unregulated American tech giants. The reforms come in response to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) Digital Platforms Inquiry, which slammed tech heavyweigh...

Supreme Court sets aside statutory demand against Smiles Inclusive

Within a week of having a major suit against it dropped, dental care company Smiles Inclusive (ASX: SIL) is today claiming victory in another legal matter. This morning the Supreme Court of Queensland set aside a statutory demand served by the former owners of Sydney-based Future Care Mobile Dentistry (FCMD), who sold their busi...

Coles to pay Norco dairy farmers $5.25 million after allegedly misleading consumers

Norco Co-operative Limited (Norco) dairy farmers will receive $5.25 million from Coles (ASX: COL) after the supermarket giant failed to pass on a 10c per litre price rise. The payment to Norco follows an investigation by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) into whether Coles fully passed on to Norco a 10c per litre p...

Criminal charges laid against former BCU CEO

A former director and CEO of credit union BCU could face up to 10 years in jail if found guilty of criminal charges made against him by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). Lyndon Allen Kingston (pictured) was an executive - first as CFO and then CEO - at Coffs Harbour-based BCU for nine years and was a senior...

Optus hit with $6.4 million fine for misleading customers

A marketing email has cost telco Optus $6.4 million in penalties after the Federal Court determined it to be misleading. Following proceedings brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the Federal Court found that Optus made misleading claims about home internet disconnections to consumers. The case revolve...

Class action launched against Woolworths

Last month Woolworths Group (ASX: WOW) announced it had underpaid staff by about $300 million, but Adero Law alleges the figure is more like $620 million. A staff underpayment scandal that prompted reprimands from the Fair Work Ombudsman and led to executive pay cuts has just turned up a notch for Australia's largest retaile...

Bellamy's settles historical class actions

Infant formula producer Bellamy's (ASX: BAL) has settled two class actions dating back to early 2017. The total settlement amount for both proceedings comes to $49.7 million, which the company says will have no impact on its financial results at any time. Both class actions relate to historical market disclosures that occurred in ...

"An exercise in Orwellian doublespeak": Dover Financial Advisers found guilty

The Federal Court has handed down its decision against Dover Financial Advisers, finding the company and its sole director guilty of false, misleading or deceptive conduct on 19,402 occasions. The case arose from an Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) investigation, with the watchdog alleging that Dover misled and decei...

Westpac CEO and chairman step down amid AUSTRAC allegations

Westpac Group (ASX: WBC) CEO Brian Hartzer and chairman Lindsay Maxstead will step down in the wake of legal controversy surrounding the bank. Hatzer's resignation follows allegations from AUSTRAC that the banking group contravened the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006 (AML/CTF Act) on more than 23 million ...

"Justice for thousands" as Shine wins implant class action against Johnson & Johnson

A class action seven years in the making has delivered "justice for thousands" after Shine Lawyers (ASX: SHJ) defeated Ethicon and Johnson & Johnson in the Federal Court today. The two medical implant giants have been found liable in negligence and for breaches of the Trade Practices Act and the Competition and Consumer Act ...

NAB settles credit card insurance class action for $50 million

NAB (ASX: NAB) has reached a settlement with class action law firm Slater & Gordon, paying $49.5 million toward customer remuneration. The class action saw Slater & Gordon allege that NAB sold "worthless" credit card insurance (CCI) to customers. The law firm claimed most people were sold the insurance over the phone...

Westpac accused of breaching anti-money laundering laws

In June 2018 Commonwealth Bank (ASX: CBA) paid the largest settlement of its kind in Australian corporate history after being taken to court by AUSTRAC over anti-money laundering charges. Today, Westpac (ASX: WBC) finds itself in a similar position. The bank this morning received a statement of claim from AUSTRAC, commencing civil pro...

CBA's CommInsure pleads guilty to 87 counts of hawking

A subsidiary of Australia's largest bank has pleaded guilty to making unlawful and unsolicited phone calls in breach of the Corporations Act. Commonwealth Bank (ASC: CBA) subsidiary Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society Limited, trading as CommInsure, has pleaded guilty on 87 counts of the practice known as "hawking" betwen...

Hold your horses: Body Corporate ban on Airbnbs unlikely to impact most Queenslanders

A landmark legal decision upholding a ban on Airbnbs in certain strata title complexes is unlikely to impact the broader industry. For the first time in Queensland, a by-law banning short-term letting or Airbnb within a Gold Coast community has been successful. The decision in the case of Fairway Island GTP v Redman and Murray is cert...

Car industry on notice as Mazda faces court

Car manufacturer Mazda's Australian arm will face the Federal Court over allegations of unconscionable conduct and misleading statements in relation to faulty cars. As alleged by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Mazda engaged in unconscionable conduct and made false representations in its dealings with custom...

Compensation Partners Lawyers to relaunch as Kingsley Lawson Lawyers

Since launching in 2013, Compensation Partners Lawyers, specialists in compensation law, have witnessed a solid growth in operation. With a staff of 16 in offices across New South Wales and Queensland, the boutique law firm has built its reputation on integrity, dexterity and expertise in the area of compensation law. As founder and M...

ACCC takes Google to court over misleading use of user location data

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission ('ACCC') has launched proceedings in the Federal Court against Google, alleging the Silicon Valley giant misused users' location data. The watchdog claims that from at least January 2017, Google breached the Australian Consumer Law when it made on-screen representations on And...

Benjamin Hornigold demands repayment as JB Financial Group falls into receivership

The company that holds the majority of Benjamin Hornigold's (ASX: BHD) assets has fallen into receivership, and the embattled company is anxious for repayment. JB Financial Group (JBFG) fell into receivership today, with Wexted Advisors being appointed as the group's receivers and managers by Partners For Growth (PFG) under its se...

Myer class action fails in court

The Federal Court has ruled Myer (ASX: MYR) will not need to pay damages in a class action brought by Amies Superannuation Fund trustee TPT Patrol, despite finding the retailer had engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct over a four-month period in FY15. The proceedings stemmed from a verbal statement made on 11 September 201...