Commercial Disputes AU
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August 28, 2026
Fed Court Sends Back 33-Page Claim Full Of 'AI Slop'
The Federal Court of Australia has dismissed a 33-page, 400-paragraph proposed statement of claim composed of "AI slop," but gave the self-represented applicant another chance to plead his case after finding he had used artificial intelligence to generate the document.
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August 28, 2026
HSF Kramer To Steer DigitalBridge's PLUS ES Acquisition
U.S. asset manager DigitalBridge says it will buy one of Australia's largest smart meter operators, PLUS ES, as energy regulators accelerate the replacement of legacy meters by 2030, announcing HSF Kramer as its legal adviser for the deal.
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August 27, 2026
Non-Profit ACCR Drops Santos Greenwashing Appeal
The Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility has withdrawn its appeal against a Federal Court of Australia judgment dismissing a landmark greenwashing case the non-profit brought against oil and gas company Santos Ltd over its voluntary climate disclosures in 2021.
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August 27, 2026
Gilbert + Tobin To Guide Ingenia's $992M Peet Buyout
Sydney-based residential community provider Ingenia Communities Group says it will buy land developer Peet Ltd for $992 million and has announced Gilbert + Tobin as its legal adviser for the deal, the company told the ASX on Wednesday.
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August 27, 2026
Fed Gov Rejects Senate Calls To Break Up ASIC
The federal government has rejected a parliamentary committee's recommendation to split the corporate regulator into separate companies and financial services watchdogs, disputing its argument that the regulator's broad remit has made it ineffective.
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August 27, 2026
Macquarie Dumps KPMG In $95M Audit Blow, Returns to PwC
Macquarie Group has scrapped plans to award a new $95 million audit contract to the scandal-hit KPMG, announcing it will retain PwC as its auditor in a move KPMG's Australian CEO John Sams called a "clear reminder that the consequences of our past failings are real."
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August 26, 2026
Ex-Nuix Chair Says Pre-IPO Forecast Was 'Conservative'
Former Nuix Ltd chairman Daniel Phillips argued at trial in the Victorian Supreme Court on Wednesday that the analytics software company had appropriately forecasted its expected revenues ahead of its allegedly misleading 2020 IPO, as shareholders suggested it had failed to properly take financial risks into account.
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August 26, 2026
ASIC Chair Says Bathla Collapse 'First Crack' In Private Credit
ASIC Chair Sarah Court says the collapse of residential property developer Bathla, which was put into voluntary administration on Tuesday, represents the "first significant crack" in the private credit industry in Australia.
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August 26, 2026
Justice Lee Says Courts Should Use AI, Backs Litigant AI Tool
Federal Court Justice Michael Lee has called for courts to harness AI including the potential introduction of a court-controlled AI tool for self-represented litigants amid the "profound" and "increasingly unmanageable" impact of AI.
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August 26, 2026
ASIC Chairs Backs Reform Of 'Largely Unregulated' Auditors
ASIC Chair Sarah Court has called for the government to close major gaps in the regulation of auditing firms following the KPMG whistleblower scandal.
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August 26, 2026
Merivale Class Settlement Administrator Denied Extra Costs
A Federal Court judge on Wednesday dismissed a claim filed by Adero Law lawyer Rory Markham, the settlement administrator for an underpayment class action against hospitality giant Merivale Group, for $12,500 in additional administration costs, saying the original cost order in the case already covered his efforts to track down unpaid class members.
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August 26, 2026
CBA Settles Colonial Interest Rates Class Action For $249M
Commonwealth Bank says it has reached a $249 million settlement in a class action against Colonial First State and Avanteos Investments that alleged they invested members' retirement savings with their then-parent CBA despite better interest rates being available elsewhere.
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August 25, 2026
Chalmers Weighs 'Tell Us Once' Fix For Co. Reporting Burden
The Productivity Commission is reviewing the growing burden of non-financial reporting requirements on Australian businesses, including whether overlapping obligations across regulators like ASIC, APRA and laws can be streamlined through a "Tell Us Once" model, Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced in a statement on Monday.
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August 25, 2026
Fed Court Raps eHarmony For 'Subscription Trap' Breaches
Online dating site eHarmony has been found in breach of consumer law by the Federal Court of Australia for misleading customers over subscription-based membership prices and terms on its website and app after hundreds of complaints about charges and automatic renewals at higher prices.
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August 25, 2026
SkyCity Rejects Two Takeover Bids On 'Problematic' Terms
New Zealand-based casino operator SkyCity said it has rejected two unsolicited takeover bids, including a $602 million offer from US investment firm Oaktree Capital, citing low value and "problematic" conditions.
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August 25, 2026
ART, Fair Work Commission Tighten GenAI Disclosure Rules
The Administrative Review Tribunal published new rules governing AI use by lawyers acting in its proceedings on Monday, the same day the Fair Work Commission released similar guidelines citing a 70% increase in workload primarily due to potential litigants now using artificial intelligence tools.
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August 25, 2026
WiseTech Taps Oracle, SAP Vet Amid ACCC Probe
WiseTech has named former Oracle and SAP executive Tim Ebbeck as an independent board member overseeing audit and risk, days after the ACCC executed a search warrant against the software company over alleged violations of competition and consumer law.
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August 25, 2026
InterPrac AFCA Challenge Delays $578K Investor Payouts
Almost 1,400 complaints against Interprac Financial Planning over advice linked to the failed First Guardian and Shield schemes, including three cases in which investors are awaiting payment of $578,000 in compensation, face at least another four months in limbo after the Federal Court gave the firm access to AFCA documents and extra time to prepare its case.
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August 25, 2026
Berndale Director Appeals 23-Month Sentence On Siphoning Funds
One of the former directors of collapsed broker Berndale Capital is appealing his two-year jail sentence in the Federal Court of Australia over his conviction for siphoning client funds for his personal benefit.
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August 21, 2026
Law Firm Drops 'Deposit Flicking' Case After Media Attention
Law firm Agency Settlements has discontinued its case against the founder of conveyancing firm Dott & Crossitt, Jared Zak, and agreed to pay costs over his allegations that it engaged in "deposit flicking," citing media coverage of the matter driving such rapid growth that it could no longer substantiate specific losses, director Lucas McEntee said in a statement to Law360 on Thursday.
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August 21, 2026
Struck-Off Lawyer Jailed For Holding Back Email Details
A Victorian Supreme Court judge has ordered former solicitor Joseph Guss to spend a week in jail after he refused to hand over email login details to a manager appointed to his practice following the cancellation of his practising certificate for several instances of professional misconduct.
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August 21, 2026
Ex-KPMG Whistleblower Suit Targets Big Four Liability Caps
A small public-interest case listed for trial in NSW's Supreme Court next year could expose the Big Four accounting firms to larger damages bills, forcing them to take accountability for "negligent, deceptive or misleading" advice given to clients, according to the ex-KPMG whistleblower behind the action Brendan Lyon.
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August 21, 2026
Shine Writes Down $13M In Surprise Class Action Ruling
Class action law firm Shine Lawyers said an "unexpected" interlocutory judgment in an ongoing class action has forced it to write down $13.7 million from this year's earnings, though it is considering appealing the case.
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August 20, 2026
Ovanti Plans To Sue Former US CEO Amid BNPL Collapse
Fintech firm Ovanti said it is preparing legal proceedings against the former CEO of its bankrupt US buy-now pay-later business, according to an Australian Securities Exchange statement on Thursday.
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August 20, 2026
Ex-Arrium CEO Rejects 'Blind Optimism' Claim In Class Trial
Former Arrium Ltd CEO Andrew Roberts rejected allegations on Thursday that he engaged in "blind optimism" regarding the mining and steelmaking company's future prospects ahead of its collapse, in his final day of testimony in a shareholder class action trial over allegedly misleading financial reports.