Class Actions - Wotton Kearney

Thought Leadership

From global trends to regulatory reality: regulatory and risk implications of climate change

By: Amanda Beattie, Charu Stevenson and Zoe Jones Overview In the first two articles in this series (here and here), we examined the rapid expansion of climate-related litigation globally and traced how those international developments are reshaping the Australian litigation landscape. Climate litigation is no longer confined to environmental approvals or public law challenges, but […]

By : Joshua Weiler Apr 8, 2026 Comments Off

Case Alerts

Finality in litigation: Federal Court dismisses oppression claim as abuse of process

By: Bill Conor and Lachlan Milligan Slater v Ecosol Pty Ltd [2026] FCA 208 At a glance On 5 March 2026, the Federal Court of Australia summarily dismissed an oppression claim brought by Mr Matthew Slater, a minority shareholder in Ecosol Pty Ltd, against the company and two of its directors, Mr Jeffrey Smith and […]

By : Joshua Weiler Apr 1, 2026 Comments Off

Thought Leadership

Class Actions in Focus: Defining Decisions in 2025 and Trends to Watch

Over 1,000 class actions filed, $1.5 billion in settlements, and a landmark Robodebt settlement that made history. 2025 was a milestone year for class actions in Australia, and 2026 is shaping up to be just as consequential. Our class actions experts unpack some key developments and trend themes in their latest article – Class Actions […]

By : Joshua Weiler Mar 31, 2026 Comments Off

WK News

Successful Defence of $1.5 Billion Federal Court Class Action

Wotton Kearny acted for the second respondent, HVG Pty Ltd – the Australian distributor of Alucobond PE and PLUS aluminium composite panels – in a Federal Court of Australia class action widely known as the “Alucobond Class Action”. Judgment was handed down today in favour of HVG and the other respondent. We are delighted with […]

By : Joshua Weiler Mar 27, 2026 Comments Off

Case Alerts

Another first for the Victorian GCO regime: Varying a Group Costs Order

By: Amanda Beattie, Jonathon Ferraro and Madeleine Wright Byrnes v Origin Energy (No 2) 2026 VSC 97 Another first for the Victorian GCO regime In a judgment delivered by Justice Waller on 11 March 2026, the Supreme Court of Victoria determined the first application to amend a Group Costs Order (GCO) pursuant to s 33ZDA(1) […]

By : Joshua Weiler Mar 13, 2026 Comments Off

Thought Leadership

Climate litigation in Australia: History, developments and strategic trends

By: Amanda Beattie, James Clohesy and Zoe Jones At a glance This is the second article in our series examining climate change litigation and forecasting emerging trends in the Australian market. Our first article surveyed the global litigation landscape and identified key themes that will shape future disputes. This article turns to Australia, outlining the […]

By : Joshua Weiler Dec 11, 2025 Comments Off

Thought Leadership

Mapping the current international climate change landscape

By: Amanda Beattie and Zoe Jones At a glance According to the Grantham Research Institute’s recent Global Trends in Climate Change Litigation: 2025 Snapshot report, in 2024 Australia was second only to the United States in terms of the number of claims made relating to climate. Litigation is inevitably a driver of climate action and […]

By : Joshua Weiler Nov 7, 2025 Comments Off

Articles

High Court shuts down solicitors’ CFOs in the Federal Court

By: Amanda Beattie and Gavin Davies In a decision that is bound to disappoint plaintiff law firms but delight litigation funders, the High Court has quashed the Full Federal Court’s decision to allow solicitor’s CFOs in the Federal Court in the Blue Sky Class Action (see Kain v R&B Investments Pty Ltd Ernst & Young […]

By : Joshua Weiler Aug 8, 2025 Comments Off

Articles

Federal court rules no duty of care to Torres Strait Islanders in landmark climate case

By: Amanda Beattie, James Clohesy and Clare McNamara Justice Wigney delivered his judgment in Pabai Pabai v Commonwealth of Australia (Pabai) yesterday, an important decision in the context of climate change litigation in Australia and for government agencies across the country. Pabai was brought as a class action on behalf of all Torres Strait Islanders alleging […]

By : Joshua Weiler Jul 16, 2025 Comments Off

Thought Leadership

Future Proof ‘25: Insurance and risk insights across Asia-Pacific

The future of insurance and risk in Asia-Pacific is here, and rapidly evolving. Are you ready? In a world marked by rapid technological advancement, innovation, evolving regulatory demands and increasing complexity across multiple risk sectors, Future Proof ’25 examines the diverse forces reshaping insurance and business landscapes. This report highlights emerging trends and critical challenges […]

By : Joshua Weiler May 22, 2025 Comments Off

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