Fewer filings, higher stakes: The Review: Class Actions in Australia 2025/2026

Class action filings fell to their lowest level in almost a decade, while more than $1.65 billion in settlements were approved. To mark the launch of the 14th edition of The Review: Class Actions in Australia 2025/2026, Mallesons Partners Alex Morris and Peta Stevenson discuss the major developments shaping class action risk and what organisations should be watching in the year ahead.Key topics discussedWhat is behind the fall in class action filingsWhy settlement values remain highKey developments in shareholder class actions, including Brambles and WorleyGrowing overlap between class actions and regulatory actionsDevelopments in litigation funding and group costs ordersEmerging areas of risk, including AI, cyber and data breaches and ESG-related claimsWhat boards and in-house legal teams should be watching next