We have leading-edge experience in advising clients in class actions, involving solvent and insolvent entities and, significantly differing from all other major firms in this space, acting for both claimants and defendants. Our partners have been involved in most of the significant corporate class action matters in Australia over the last 20 years.

Experience

Recent matters

Hyundai and Kia

Acting for lead plaintiffs in significant class actions concerning defective Hyundai and Kia motor engines involving over 500,000 Australian car owners. The action follows identical problems faced by Kia and Hyundai in the USA where they were fined a record $200M plus by the auto regulator admitting they had covered up for years the potentially fatal problems with their engine designs.

CMC Markets

Acting for retail investors in derivative products known as “CFDs” against the Australian arm of the global CMC Group. CMC is one of the largest online platforms for the issue of CFDs and the claim involves allegations of misleading and systemic unconscionable conduct by CMC in respect of its issue of highly leveraged, complex and risky financial products to retail investors.

Allianz

Acting for the lead plaintiffs in proceeding against Allianz alleging misleading and deceptive and unconscionable conduct in relation to the sale of valueless add-on insurance products sold through car dealers. JWS are joint solicitors on the record with Maurice Blackburn Lawyers following consolidation of two competing class actions. This is another class action flowing from the evidence and findings in the Banking Royal Commission.

3M

Acting in relation to numerous filed and potential product liability and environmental damage class actions around Australia where claimants are seeking loss and damage from the Department of Defence’s use of allegedly toxic PFCs and other fire retardant chemicals over a 40 year period at air force defence bases some of which were manufactured and supplied by 3M.

LifeSmart

Acted for LifeSmart as a representative creditor and investor seeking to assert the rights of a certain class of creditor/investor to maximise their return in the Courtenay House liquidation in what is described as Australia’s largest Ponzi scheme.

Standard & Poor's

Acting for the lead applicants, Lifeplan Australia Friendly Society & others, in Federal Court proceedings against Standard & Poor’s for multi-million dollar losses related to investments in synthetic CDOs, which carried their credit ratings from AA- to AAA and were sold through Lehman Brothers’ Australian subsidiary.

Quintis

Acting for the defendants in 3 separate securities class actions arising out of the collapse of the Quintis group and the loss of funds in its Indian Sandalwood Plantation across Northern Australia. The cases involve breaches of continuous disclosure rules and allegations of significant accounting irregularities.

RCR Tomlinson (In Liquidation)

Defending the former CEO of RCR Tomlinson Limited in a shareholder class action, following the collapse of the company in November 2018.

Swann Insurance

Acting for plaintiffs in Federal Court Class Action proceedings against Swann Insurance and Insurance Australia Limited relating to the sale of add-on insurance in which we secured a settlement of $138m.

Merivale Group

Defending the privately owned hospitality group in class action proceedings filed in the Federal Court of Australia alleging the underpayment of Merivale’s workforce in the order of a claimed $129m.

Aurora Travel

Representing our client on threatened class action and series of related claims relating to the “Greg Mortima” cruise ship which was effected by COVID19 cases and became stranded off the coast of Uruguay.

Advanta Seeds

Representing a group of farmers in a class action against Advanta Seeds regarding claims of negligence and misleading and deceptive conduct.

Facebook/Cambridge Analytica

Acting for the complainant in the first ever Australian Privacy group action for damages against Facebook over its data breaches involving Cambridge Analytica.

Gunns Limited

Acted for the liquidators in a class action filed by investors in managed investment schemes of Gunns Limited on various claims totalling over $250 million.

BSA Limited

Defending BSA Limited in class action proceedings against the ASX listed company alleging “sham contracting” under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth).

Vasco Trustees Limited

Defending Federal Court class action proceedings commenced by Slater + Gordon on behalf of investors against Vasco Trustees Limited, the trustee of the IPO Wealth Fund which was operated by the Mayfair101 group, in respect of misleading and deceptive conduct claims by the investors seeking recovery of funds invested in the collapsed IPO Wealth Fund.

Recognition

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