Shine Lawyers

Overview

Shine Lawyers

type	Public law firm
traded as	asx: SHJ (Shine Justice Group)
foundation	1976 as KG Shine & Co
founder	Kerry Shine, Simon Morrison & Stephen Roche
location city	Brisbane, Queensland
area served	Australia
industry	Legal Industry
services	Personal injury law, compensation law, workers compensation law, car accident claims, public liability claims, toxic exposure, silica and dust disease claims, class actions, abuse law, product liability, medical negligence, brain injury claims, workplace claims and super and insurance claims.
parent	Shine Justice
homepage	shine.com.au

Shine Lawyers is an Australian law firm specialising in personal injury compensation law, operating on a no win no fee basis.[1] The firm has expanded into providing toxic exposure, silica and dust disease, abuse and medical negligence services through a number of acquisitions.[2][3][4][5]

Founded in Toowoomba in 1976, the firm is now headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, and currently has over 700 employees based across more than 40 offices across Australia and New Zealand.[6] The firm featured in a Four Corners documentary accused of gross overcharging in class actions and for exploitation of vulnerable class members.[7]

Notable class actions

On 27 September 2011, Shine Lawyers commenced a class action against DePuy International Ltd and Johnson & Johnson on behalf of Australians affected by faulty DePuy ASR hip implants.[24] It is alleged that the DePuy ASR hip implants were defective, not fit for their intended purpose and/or not of merchantable quality, in contravention of provisions of the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth).

On 16 October 2012, Shine Lawyers commenced a class action against Johnson & Johnson and Ethicon on behalf of Australians suffering complications as a result of faulty prolapse mesh implants.[25] In March 2020, the Federal Court decided in favour of the three lead applicants, awarding them $2.6 million in damages. Johnson & Johnson’s appeal was dismissed in March 2021.[26] On 5 November 2021, the High Court of Australia dismissed Johnson & Johnson’s application for special leave to appeal.

In 2020, Shine Lawyers settled three PFAS contamination class actions against the Commonwealth of Australia (Department of Defence), representing landholders in Oakey (Queensland), Katherine (Northern Territory) and Williamtown (New South Wales). The Federal Court approved a AU$212.5 million settlement in June 2020.[27]

In 2022, Shine Lawyers reached an in-principle AU$300 million settlement in two class actions against Johnson & Johnson Medical and Ethicon over pelvic mesh implants. The Federal Court approved the settlement in March 2022, making it the largest product liability class action settlement in Australian history.[28][29]

In 2023, Shine Lawyers secured a AU$105 million settlement in a separate pelvic mesh class action against Boston Scientific. The settlement was approved by the Federal Court in March 2023 without admission of liability.[30]

In 2023, Shine Lawyers settled a shareholder class action against Ardent Leisure, the parent company of Dreamworld, relating to alleged misleading disclosures following the 2016 Thunder River Rapids Ride tragedy. The Federal Court approved a AU$26 million settlement in August 2023.[31]

In 2021, Shine Lawyers launched a class action on behalf of members of the Northern Territory Stolen Generations. The claim was settled in 2022 for AU$50 million, benefiting more than 1,700 survivors and estates.[32]

In 2023, Shine Lawyers settled the Western Australian Stolen Wages Class Action on behalf of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people whose wages were withheld between 1936 and 1972. The Federal Court approved a settlement of more than AU$180 million in December 2024, and the WA Government issued a formal apology.[33]

Shine Lawyers

History

Acquisitions and mergers

Notable current and past cases

Notable class actions

Justices criticisms of fees charged by Shine Lawyers

References