Million dollar penalty imposed on licensee for systemic failures to address best interests duty

First time the Court has imposed a penalty on an Australian Financial Services Licensee (Licensee) for breaches of the best interests duty On 30 March 2017, Justice Moshinsky of the Federal Court of Australia (Court) delivered judgment, declaring multiple breaches of s961K(2) and s961L of Corporations Act 2001 (Act) by Licensee, NSG Services Pty Ltd […]

The Wayne Tank Principle

As published in the New Zealand’s Law Talk magazine on 7 October 2017. The Leggs burnt green waste from their landscaping business and lifestyle block on their Canterbury property. While the fire initially reduced to ash, sufficient combustible material remained that it reignited some weeks later in a strong wind. The root cause was embers […]

Failed sterilisations: a “resurgence of common law claims” for loss of income?

J v Accident Compensation Corporation [2017] NZCA 441 What Happened New Zealand’s Court of Appeal has recently handed down a decision that may signal a partial retreat of the statutory bar to proceedings arising from medical misadventure. In a case involving a failed sterilisation, remarks made by the Court appear to leave open the possibility […]

Australia adopts market-based causation (aka fraud on the market) for the first time

The elephant in the room in all shareholder class actions was whether shareholders had to establish their own reliance on the contravening conduct, or could merely rely on that conduct’s effect on the market, akin to the US concept of “fraud on the market”. The NSW Supreme Court has taken a step closer towards Australia […]

High Court confirms third party claimants can join insurers to proceedings

Yesterday the High Court handed down its decision in CGU Insurance v Blakeley [2016] HCA 2, a case which considers a third party claimant’s right to join an insurer to Court proceedings against an insured for the purpose of challenging the insurer’s decision to decline cover to the insured. After reviewing conflicting authorities on the […]