Xenith rebuffs IPH takeover bid

The board of intellectual property company Xenith (ASX: XIP) is not impressed by a 9 per cent lift in IPH's (ASX: IPH) takeover offer, and will press on with another merger in the works.  In an announcement today the group concluded IPH had not presented a superior offer to the merger deal underway with QANTM Intel...

Red Bubble off the hook in Hells Angels copyright case

A website that allows independent artists to sell print on demand (POD) designs online has avoided hefty damages after the Federal Court of Australia ruled in its favour in a copyright case brought by Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation. The bikie gang was suing Melbourne-based Redbubble (ASX: RBL) for publishing Hells Angels tradema...

Class action looms for IOOF

While Australia's prudential watchdog takes action against IOOF (ASX: IFL) directors and executives over alleged misconduct, the wealth manager is about to face another legal battle. Sydney-based law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan announced today it planned to file a class action against IOOF, arising from evidence given a...

IPH threatens QANTM-Xenith merger with counterbid

Intellectual property company IPH (ASX: IPH) is upping the ante in its courtship of Xenith (ASX: XIP), putting in a higher takeover bid it claims will bring greater value than a merger in the works with QANTM Intellectual Property (ASX: QIP). Xenith knocked back IPH's $1.80 per share offer in November, opting instead for an all-scrip ...

Clayton Utz, AMP cave in to ASIC's 'fees for no service' notes demand

After months of withholding notes from interviews of current and former AMP representatives, law firm Clayton Utz has finally coughed up documents requested by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). The notes formed the basis for Clayton Utz's October 2017 report on on fees for no service (FFNS) that was consider...

ASIC swoops on GetSwift with civil proceedings

GetSwift (ASX: GSW) and its directors Bane Hunter and Joel Macdonald are once again in the firing line. The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) has today launched civil proceedings against GetSwift in the Federal Court of Australia in Melbourne. The proceedings relate to a series of ASX announcements made by GetSwif...

One of Jenny Hutson's lieutenants has pleaded guilty to giving false info to ASIC

Mary-Anne Graves, one of the board members of Wellington Capital involved in Jenny Hutson and G8 Education's failed takeover of Affinity Education, has pleaded guilty before the Brisbane Magistrates' Court. Graves was charged with three counts of giving false or misleading information under oath in June 2016, and today plead guilt...

LandMark White in trading halt following fallout from data breach

Property valuer LandMark White (ASX: LMW) has gone into a trading halt pending a statement regarding the fallout from a data breach that occurred on 4 February 2019. The company said at the time that a data set containing property valuation and some personal contact information was disclosed because of a vulnerability in one of LMW's ...

Qantas' acquisition of Alliance Airlines up in the air

Qantas (ASX: QAN) has announced that it has purchased a 19.9 per cent stake in regional charter flight operator Alliance Airlines (ASX: AQZ), but the deal could still be undone. Shares in Alliance have soared on the back of Qantas' transaction, with shares up 12.61 per cent to $2.59 per share before noon AEDT. However, the investm...

Slow Internet with the NBN? You might be eligible for a refund

The ACCC is urging NBN customers with slow connection speeds to contact their provider as they may be eligible for a refund. Over the last 15 months Telstra, Optus, TPG, iiNet, Internode, Dodo, iPrimus and Commander have each admitted that they likely made false or misleading representations about the connection speeds NBN customers could...

Ultra Tune faces $2.6m penalty for breaching Franchising Code

Australia's second largest independent motor repair organisation Ultra Tune is in hot water after failing to act in good faith in its dealings with a prospective franchisee. The company has been fined $2.6m for breaching both the Franchise Code of Conduct and Australian Consumer law and ordered to pay back a $33,000 deposit which it f...

Black Friday buoys Australian retail but online continues to dominate

Australia's wholehearted embrace of the American Thanksgiving tradition Black Friday has paid off for our retailers, but it's online where shoppers continue to flock. The highly anticipated ABS data on retailing for November 2018 proved to be more positive than expected, with turnover up 0.4 per cent in November 2018. Pundits pred...

ACCC preliminary report slams unfettered dominance of Facebook and Google

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has today released its most scathing assessment of how American tech giants are impacting the Australian market, particularly the news and advertising sectors. The regulator released a preliminary report containing 11 preliminary recommendations and eight areas for further analysis...

ACCC takes on TPG for retaining millions from allegedly misleading conduct

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is hoping to secure compensation for TPG customers after the telco allegedly misled consumers about a "prepayment" fee. The ACCC alleges that TPG misled customers about a $20 "prepayment" made by consumers and that the telco included unfair prepayment contract t...

Engineering giant RCR Tomlinson goes into administration

After 120 years in business, engineering and construction company RCR Tomlinson (ASX: RCR) has entered administration. A statement from the engineering firm released this morning the company says it has appointed McGrathNicol as administrators to the company overnight. Around 3,400 staff are now in limbo as the company beings its proc...

Harold Mitchell resigns on ASIC's Tennis Australia probe

The chairman of Free TV Australia Harold Mitchell has been "forced" to resign following allegations made by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) about his involvement with Tennis Australia. Mitchell revealed news of the acrimonious departure in a brief statement. "It is with regret that I have been...

Medicinal cannabis access to get a whole lot easier in Queensland

After the Federal Government made it legal to consume cannabis for medicinal purposes two years ago, significant strides have been made to make access easier. Serious developments in the research and cultivation of cannabis for medicinal purposes have been made by private and public companies in the years since. However, the issue of ...

Misbehaving banking and finance leaders could face 10 years in jail

Amidst public outrage over the dodgy dealings revealed in the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services, the government is taking action. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has today announced new legislation in the federal parliament to significantly crack down on the individuals behind major instituti...

IMF Bentham calls $84m raising to seize litigation trends

Global litigation funder IMF Bentham (ASX: IMF) is preparing to raise over $84 million to prepare for a range of opportunities presently in reach for the company. The listed company will conduct a fully underwritten institutional placement to raise $74.48 million, comprising an issue of 26.6 million new IMF ordinary shares. The group ...

Supermarkets facing a potential royal commission following drought levy milk scandal

After Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud tore into supermarkets yesterday over a "disappointing" drought levy on in-house milk, members of the government are calling for a royal commission into Australian supermarkets. In parliament yesterday, Queensland Nationals MP Lew O'Brien said there is nearly enough outcry...

Slater & Gordon launches 'Get Your Super Back' class action against Commonwealth Bank

Law firm Slater & Gordon (ASX: SGH) believes it could recoup more than $100 million for thousands of superannuation members through a recently launched class action against Commonwealth Bank (ASX: CBA) and its subsidiary Colonial First State. Slater & Gordon says this is the first class action of its 'Get Your Super ...

Shine's class actions division grows with acquisition of ACA Lawyers

Listed law firm Shine Corporate (ASX: SHJ) will spread its class action division further into New South Wales with the acquisition of ACA Lawyers. ACA Lawyers are a specialist class action firm, with expertise in litigation and dispute resolution. Shine's acquisition was effective from the 1st October, and the firm says it will be...

Max Brenner enters voluntary administration

Decadent chocolatier Max Brenner has announced it has gone into voluntary administration. The dessert chain cited rising costs and tough retail landscape as the reason behind the decision. McGrathNicol has been appointed as administrated to undertake a review of the business, with a meeting of creditors to occur within the coming days...

ASIC review finds "unacceptable" delays by big banks in reporting breaches

ASIC is casting light once again on the poor behaviour of Australia's largest financial institutions. After several controversial issues were uncovered by the royal commission, ASIC has found further "unacceptable" delays by financial institutions in reporting, addressing and remediating significant breaches. In its late...

ACCC scam ad warning raises concerns about 3rd party advertising

Thanks to the proliferation of seamless advertising platforms offered by Google and Facebook, cunning scammers have dug their claws into Australia's biggest content publishers. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) warns of the abundance of new scams which appear as 'legitimate' advertisements on platforms ...

Aged care providers tank in wake of royal commission announcement

After Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a royal commission into Australia's aged care system the preeminent providers of the service on the ASX saw their shares take a tumble. At 12.20pm AEST Aveo is down 4.28 per cent to $2.16, Estia is down 18.3 per cent to $2.41 per share, Japara is down 14 per cent to $1.44, and Regis Health...

ASIC to take second bite of the pie in ANZ cartel scandal

Back in June, ANZ, Citigroup, and Deutsche Bank got caught up in a widely publicised scandal relating to alleged criminal cartel charges. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission laid charges against the banks and several senior personnel from each of the financial institutions. Today, ASIC has once again gone after ANZ fo...

Shock claims backfire on Alan Jones in largest defamation payout in Aussie history

Controversial radio star Alan Jones has failed to defend the defamatory claims he made surrounding the 2011 Grantham floods, resulting in Australia's largest ever defamation payout of $3.75 million in damages. The Sydney shock jock and broadcaster for 2GB and 4BC radio was found to have defamed the Wagner family over 27 broadcasts mad...

Slater and Gordon announces all-out attack on banks to get your super back

Slater and Gordon is launching a full-on assault on Australia's financial institutions in a campaign to secure more than one billion dollars in super from the banks. Their campaign is called Get Your Super Back and it is shaping up to be an intensive, lengthy, and expensive battle. "Slater and Gordon will take on the banks on...

Financial advice institutions to refund over $800 million

As the revelations from the Royal Commission continue to pour in, the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) has revealed that, in total, Australian financial advice institutions will refund customers over $800 million in reparations over fees for no service (FFNS) programs. The big four banks (ANZ, CBA, NAB, and Westpac) ...