Harold Mitchell found guilty over involvement in Seven's Tennis Australia deal

The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) has been successful in its case against Harold Mitchell, a former director of Tennis Australia, over his involvement in a deal with Seven Network. Mitchell has been found guilty on three occasions for breaches of the Corporations Act today, but the court declined to disqualify the...

Digital platforms to pay for Australian news content under mandatory code of conduct

Facebook and Google will have to remunerate Australian news media companies under a mandatory code of conduct designed to level the playing field and govern an unbalanced relationship. Unveiled today by Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, the draft code establishes a framework through which news publishers can negotiate with digital platfo...

Former G8 Education chair Jenny Hutson to stand trial on 29 charges

More than two years after the corporate watchdog announced multiple charges against businesswoman Jenny Hutson, she is now set to stand trial at the Queensland District Court in Brisbane. Following a committal hearing before the Brisbane Magistrates' Court, the former G8 Education (ASX: GEM) chair will face 29 charges on a date t...

Keybridge returns to the Takeovers Panel to block Wilson bid

Nicholas Bolton-helmed Keybridge Capital (ASX: KBC) has once again found itself applying to the Takeovers Panel to try and stop WAM Active's (ASX: WAA) latest takeover bid. The proceedings relate to a long-running tug-of-war between the two, culminating in WAM's latest takeover bid lodged on the ASX in early July. Though a sit...

ACCC takes Google to court over personal data use

As Google prepares to face the US House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee along with other tech giants, the online search and advertising behemoth has a new legal challenge to contend with on the other side of the world here in Australia. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has launched legal proceedings in the F...

Ardent Leisure charged over Dreamworld tragedy

The operator of Dreamworld, Ardent Leisure (ASX: ALG), could be hit with $4.5 million in fines over charges relating to the Thunder River Rapids Ride tragedy in 2016. The company confirmed that the Queensland Work Health and Safety Prosecutor has today filed three charges against Ardent Leisure in the Magistrates Court, alleging the compa...

Clive Palmer charged with fraud over alleged dishonest transfers

Mining mogul Clive Palmer has been charged with two counts of breaching directors' duties and two counts of fraud, with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) alleging he dishonestly enriched his own political party. The corporate watchdog alleges Palmer dishonestly obtained a benefit for both his company Cosmo De...

Westpac hit with second class action over flex commission car loans

Westpac (ASX: WBC) is facing a second class action about the use of 'flex commission loans' with car dealers. Law firm Maurice Blackburn alleges Westpac and subsidiary St George Finance colluded with car dealers to "sting" consumers with high interest loans. It mirrors a class action launched by Shine Lawyers (ASX: S...

AF Legal to establish South Australian footprint with Adelaide office

Australian Family Lawyers (ASX: AFL) has today announced its third regional expansion since its June 2019 IPO, with plans to set up a South Australian operation based in Adelaide next month. The company recently set up shop on Queensland's Sunshine Coast with two offices in Maroochydore and Caloundra in June, following a Canberra...

Shine launches class action against Westpac over alleged "rip-off" car loans

Class action law firm Shine Lawyers (ASX: SHJ) has launched a class action against Westpac (ASX: WBC) and its subsidiaries, alleging the bank and car dealerships ripped-off customers with dodgy loans. The class action alleges so-called 'flex commission loans' unfairly rorted customers through a scheme that has since been banned by...

Former Quantum Resources CEO charged with insider trading

The former CEO and director of gold mining company Quantum Resources (now known as Nova Minerals (ASX: NVA) has been charged with insider trading offences. Avrohom Mordechai Kimelman of St Kilda East appeared in the Magistrates' Court of Victoria today charged with four counts of procuring the acquisition of shares in Quantum while in...

Dodo and iPrimus in court for allegedly misleading customers about NBN speeds

The Australia Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has taken Dodo and iPrimus to court, alleging the two mislead customers about the internet speeds they could achieve on the NBN. The ACCC alleges that between March 2018 and April 2019, Dodo and iPrimus, two Internet service providers owned by Vocus Group (ASX: VOC), made false or m...

Watchdog sues CBA, Colonial First State alleging conflicted influence

Around 390,000 people signed up to a superannuation fund through the alleged influence of $22 million in conflicted remuneration from Colonial First State to the Commonwealth Bank (ASX: CBA), according to civil proceedings filed by the corporate watchdog. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) alleges the payment...

Historic legal challenge against Clive Palmer's Galilee Coal Project commences today

A group of young climate activists and rural land holders will take on Clive Palmer's Galilee Coal Project in the Queensland courts today, marking the first time a coal mine has been challenged on human rights grounds in Australia. Represented by the Environmental Defenders Office, the coalation Youth Verdict will argue the project op...

Piper Alderman launches shareholder class action over Dreamworld tragedy

Theme park operator Ardent Leisure (ASX: ALG) has announced to the market it was served with a shareholder class action yesterday in relation to the 2016 Dreamworld tragedy. After the market closed yesterday the Sydney-headquartered group reported the proceedings had been filed by law firm Piper Alderman in the Federal Court of Austr...

Class action alleges electricity giants fudged supply numbers for profit

Law firm Piper Alderman has launched a class action on behalf of all Queenslanders against two of the State's leading electricity giants. The action alleges Stanwell Corporation and CS Energy engaged in "bidding games" designed to artificially create scarcity of supply of electricity and to spike energy prices for their own ...

Victoria makes wage theft a criminal offence

Australia's wage underpayment saga has taken a new twist today in Victoria, where Parliament has established criminal penalties for employers who deliberately underpay or don't pay their workers. Those who are found guilty of these practices - including the withholding of superannuation or employee entitlements - could face u...

Animals Australia live export legal challenge fails in the Federal Court

Approximately 50,000 live sheep will be transported to the Middle East by ship after a legal challenge from Animals Australia failed to have an exemption overturned. Animal rights organisation Animals Australia launched Federal Court proceedings against the Department of Agriculture yesterday after an exemption was granted to export lives...

IPH to acquire NZ law firm Baldwins Intellectual Property

Australian intellectual property (IP) legal services giant IPH Limited (ASX: IPH) has reached an agreement to acquire New Zealand IP firm Baldwins Intellectual Property. The transaction will be completed by IPH's subsidiary AJ Park IP and will see IPH pay approximately $7.4 million for the NZ firm, including a deferred consideration o...

Wilson slams Catalano's "opportune" Keybridge share buy-back offer

Investor advocate group Wilson Asset Management Active (ASX: WAM) has come out swinging against Antony Catalano and Keybridge Capital (ASX: KBC) after being served with a lawsuit on Monday. Earlier this week Keybridge, led by corporate raider Nicholas Bolton, commenced legal proceedings against WAM alleging the latter improperly acquired ...

Live export ban exemption refused for livestock vessel Al Kuwait

The Australian Department of Agriculture has refused to grant an exception for Rural Export and Trading (WA) to export live sheep to the Middle East. The livestock vessel Al Kuwait, currently docked in Fremantle, has been unable to depart Australia before 1 June as planned after 19 crew members tested positive for COVID-19. As a resul...

Keybridge hits Wilson with lawsuit, Catalano offers to buy shares back at a premium

Investment firm Keybridge Capital (ASX: KBC), led by notorious corporate raider Nicholas Bolton, has launched legal proceedings against investor advocate group Wilson Asset Management Active (ASX: WAA) alleging the latter improperly acquired 16 million Keybridge shares. Keybridge's case is that WAM, led by founder Geoff Wilson, improp...

Class action launched over Boral's fumble in the US

Maurice Blackburn has lodged a class action in the Federal Court today against building materials supply company Boral (ASX: BLD). The class action law firm alleges Boral breached its continuous disclosure requirements and/or engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct in relation to its US business. In announcements on 5 December 2019 ...

Spotless settles class action for $95 million

Investors in Downer Group (ASX: DOW) subsidiary Spotless have reached a $95 million settlement of a class action against the facility services business today. The claim began when investors lost money after Spotless downgraded its FY16 Guidance on 2 December 2015. Class action law firm Slater and Gordon alleged Spotless had engaged in...

Slater & Gordon takes aim at airlines over disadvantageous travel voucher schemes

A class action is on the table for customers who have been strong-armed into accepting travel vouchers instead of refunds for travel plans disrupted by COVID-19. According to class action law firm Slater & Gordon there are thousands of Australians that have been short-changed by major airlines, travel agents and tour companies that im...

Maurice Blackburn serves Treasury Wine Estates with class action

Treasury Wine Estates (ASX: TWE) has been officially served with a second class action in the Supreme Court of Victoria today. The statement of claim filed by law firm Maurice Blackburn on behalf of shareholders includes allegations that the winemaker contravened continuous disclosure obligations under the Corporations Act and claims that...

Optus faces class action over major data breach

A class action expected to be brought by Maurice Blackburn against telco Optus will test Australia's privacy laws and seek to deliver compensation to 50,000 aggrieved customers. Maurice Blackburn alleges Optus breached the Privacy Act after personal details of customers, including home addresses and phone numbers, were published by th...

Mayfair 101 restrained from promoting debenture products

The Federal Court has restrained Mayfair 101 from promoting its debenture products and prohibited the company from using specific words and phrases in its advertising. The Australian company was taken to the Federal Court last week by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) after allegedly producing misleading and decep...

Mayfair 101 says ASIC action could derail Dunk Island redevelopment

The developer behind a $1.6 billion redevelopment of Dunk Island in Far North Queensland says recent legal action taken by the corporate watchdog could disrupt the project. In a statement to the media, Mayfair 101 says the Australian Securities and Investment Commission's (ASIC) legal action regarding alleged false or misleading onlin...

Mayfair 101 taken to court over allegedly misleading financial advertisements

An Australian investment group has been taken to the Federal Court by the corporate watchdog over allegedly misleading and deceptive online advertisements. The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) alleges Mayfair 101, a property investor with a significant portfolio of land and tourism assets in North Queensland inc...