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Australian Google Ad Tech Class Action Commenced on Behalf of Publishers

By Harry Moran |

A class action was filed on 16 December 2024 on behalf of QNews Pty Ltd and Sydney Times Media Pty Ltd against Google LLC, Google Pte Ltd and Google Australia Pty Ltd (Google). 

The class action has been commenced to recover compensation for Australian-domiciled website and app publishers who have suffered financial losses as a result of Google’s misuse of market power in the advertising technology sector. The alleged loss is that publishers would have had significantly higher revenues from selling advertising space, and would have kept greater profits, if not for Google’s misuse of market power. 

The class action is being prosecuted by Piper Alderman with funding from Woodsford, which means affected publishers will not pay costs to participate in this class action, nor will they have any financial risk in relation to Google’s costs. 

Anyone, or any business, who has owned a website or app and sold advertising space using Google’s ad tech tools can join the action as a group member by registering their details at www.googleadtechaction.com.au. Participation in the action as a group member will be confidential so Google will not become aware of the identity of group members. 

The class action is on behalf of all publishers who had websites or apps and sold advertising space using Google’s platforms targeted at Australian consumers, including: 

  1. Google Ad Manager (GAM);
  2. Doubleclick for Publishers (DFP);
  3. Google Ad Exchange (AdX); and
  4. Google AdSense or AdMob. 

for the period 16 December 2018 to 16 December 2024. 

Google’s conduct 

Google’s conduct in the ad tech market is under scrutiny in various jurisdictions around the world. In June 2021, the French competition authority concluded that Google had abused its dominant position in the ad tech market. Google did not contest the decision, accepted a fine of €220m and agreed to change its conduct. The UK Competition and Markets Authority, the European Commission, the US Department of Justice and the Canadian Competition Bureau have also commenced investigations into, or legal proceedings regarding, Google’s conduct in ad tech. There are also class actions being prosecuted against Google for its practices in the ad tech market in the UK, EU and Canada. 

In Australia, Google’s substantial market power and conduct has been the subject of regulatory investigation and scrutiny by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) which released its report in August 2021. The ACCC found that “Google is the largest supplier of ad tech services across the entire ad tech supply chain: no other provider has the scale or reach across the ad tech supply chain that Google does.” It concluded that “Google’s vertical integration and dominance across the ad tech supply chain, and in related services, have allowed it to engage in leveraging and self-preferencing conduct, which has likely interfered with the competitive process”. 

Quotes 

Greg Whyte, a partner at Piper Alderman, said: 

“This class action is of major importance to publishers, who have suffered as a result of Google’s practices in the ad tech monopoly that it has secured. As is the case in several other 2. jurisdictions around the world, Google will be required to respond to and defend its monopolistic practices which significantly affect competition in the Australian publishing market”. 

Charlie Morris, Chief Investment Officer at Woodsford said: “This class action follows numerous other class actions against Google in other jurisdictions regarding its infringement of competition laws in relation to AdTech. This action aims to hold Google to account for its misuse of market power and compensate website and app publishers for the consequences of Google’s misconduct. Working closely with economists, we have determined that Australian website and app publishers have been earning significantly less revenue and profits from advertising than they should have. We aim to right this wrong.” 

Class Action representation 

The team prosecuting the ad tech class action comprises: 

  • Law firm: Piper Alderman
  • Funder: Woodsford
  • Counsel team: Nicholas de Young KC, Simon Snow and Nicholas Walter

About the author

Harry Moran

Harry Moran

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Announcements Consumer

Legal-Bay Launches INSTALL Funding: Monthly Financial Relief for Plaintiffs Awaiting Settlement

By Harry Moran |

Legal-Bay, a leading pre-settlement funding company, has introduced a game-changing financial solution for plaintiffs embroiled in active litigation. Their newly launched INSTALL funding contract offers clients the ability to receive structured monthly payments instead of a traditional one-time advance, easing the burden of everyday living expenses during the often lengthy legal process.

This innovative funding option addresses a growing need among plaintiffs who face significant financial strain while their cases are pending. With INSTALL funding, individuals can rely on predictable monthly disbursements designed to cover essential costs such as legal fees, medical bills, and everyday housing expenses, allowing them to focus on their case without the added pressure of missed bills or mounting debt.

Chris Janish, CEO of Legal-Bay, says, "Legal battles can be incredibly stressful, especially when they drag on for months or even years. We created INSTALL funding to provide ongoing financial stability for our customers when they need it the most, when they are stuck at home and can't work, but still need to have their bills paid on the first of the month."

INSTALL funding is one of Legal-Bay's most popular products, because lawyers know their clients cannot fight a case without cash flow coming in each month.

So, if you are a lawyer and have a client—or If you're a plaintiff yourself—in an existing lawsuit who needs an immediate INSTALL funding contract against an anticipated cash settlement award, you can apply HERE or call: 877.571.0405

Unlike standard bank loans which often involve large lump sums and steep repayment terms, INSTALL funding is tailored to meet real-life needs. Clients only draw what they require each month, which can significantly lower the total repayment after a case is settled. This targeted approach helps prevent excessive borrowing and encourages responsible financial planning throughout the litigation process.

By providing installation-based funding with client-friendly terms, Legal-Bay offers clear, flexible solutions to their customers' financial needs. The program is ideal for individuals involved in personal injury, slip and fall, medical malpractice, motor vehicle accident, Workers Comp. or 3rd party workers comp. claims or work injury claims, and many other types of cases.

Legal-Bay is one of the best legal funding companies in the industry, known for their helpful staff and quick turnaround. While sometimes pre-settlement funds are referred to as loans on lawsuit or lawsuit loans, there are no credit checks or collateral required for legal funding. The money is an immediate cash advance against a plaintiff's anticipated settlement award, not a conventional loan. The non-recourse lawsuit funding is risk-free, as the money doesn't need to be repaid should the recipient lose their case.

To apply right now, please visit the company's website HERE or call toll-free at: 877.571.0405 where agents are standing by to answer your questions.

Announcements Commercial

Burford Reports 1Q25 Financial Results

By Harry Moran |

Burford Capital Limited ("Burford"), the leading global finance and asset management firm focused on law, today announces its unaudited financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2025 ("1Q25"). The full detailed presentation of Burford's 1Q25 financial results can be viewed at http://investors.burfordcapital.com.

Burford's Chief Executive Officer Christopher Bogart commented:

"Burford delivered robust first quarter results in what is typically a lighter seasonal period, demonstrating the continued momentum of our portfolio. Both new business and realization activity were well above first quarter levels in recent years, establishing a great start to the year. We believe the uncorrelated nature of legal finance positions our business to perform through the volatile and uncertain market environment that investors face today. We remain focused on the core drivers of shareholder value discussed at our recent 2025 Investor Day: Growing the platform, turning the current portfolio into cash realizations and generating attractive returns on capital."  

Burford will hold a conference call for investors and analysts at 9.00am EDT / 2.00pm BST on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. For swift access to the conference call at the time of the event, pre-registration is encouraged at https://registrations.events/direct/Q4I881854. The dial-in numbers for the conference call are +1 (646) 307-1963 (USA) or +1 (800) 715-9871 (USA & Canada toll free) / +44 (0)20 3481 4247 (UK) or +44 800 260 6466 (UK toll free), and the access code is 88185. To minimize the risk of delayed access, participants are urged to dial into the conference call by 8.40am EDT / 1.40pm BST.

A live audio webcast and replay will also be available at https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/989634259, and pre-registration at that link is encouraged.

About Burford Capital

Burford Capital is the leading global finance and asset management firm focused on law. Its businesses include litigation finance and risk management, asset recovery and a wide range of legal finance and advisory activities. Burford is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BUR) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE: BUR) and works with companies and law firms around the world from its global network of offices.

For more information, please visit www.burfordcapital.com.

Announcements Commercial Fundraising

FirmPilot Closes $11.7 Million in Total Funding with Strategic Investments From Legal and Marketing Tech Leaders

By Harry Moran |

FirmPilot, the AI marketing engine for law firms, today announced that Thomson Reuters Ventures and HubSpot Ventures have joined as investors, backing the company's mission to help law firms generate more and higher-value clients with AI rather than rely on traditional, manual marketing tactics. This strategic funding increases FirmPilot's total funding to $11.7M, following the company's Series A round in 2024 led by Blumberg Capital, an early investor in marketing tech leaders such as Braze (Nasdaq: BRZE) and DoubleVerify (NYSE: DV).

"We are delighted to partner with FirmPilot," said Tamara Steffens, Managing Director of Thomson Reuters Ventures. "They have built an AI product that empowers law firms to effectively communicate their value proposition and enhance their visibility to potential clients. The overwhelmingly positive customer feedback they have received speaks volumes, and we are excited to support this exceptional team."

FirmPilot uses AI to empower law firms to efficiently increase online visibility and grow inbound interest from prospective clients searching online for legal help. Every hour, more than 1,000 people in the U.S. search online for legal help, and 75% of people searching online don't scroll past the first page of results. Law firms, as well as other services-based SMBs such as dentists, plumbers, electricians, veterinarians, and chiropractors, rely on online search and other digital marketing channels as their primary source of customer acquisition, and FirmPilot's all-in-one solution has enabled these businesses to thrive with AI data-driven SEO, PPC, and social media that does not involve the manual guesswork of traditional marketing agencies.

For the 425K+ law firms in the U.S., legacy practices of retaining traditional marketing agencies or manually managing marketing channels are often costly, low ROI and not built for busy, non-marketing professionals.

In just the past year, nearly one hundred modern law firms across the U.S. adopted an AI-driven approach to marketing with FirmPilot to:

  • Generate 180%+ more leads using data-informed web content and ads
  • Improve client and case quality with intelligent targeting
  • Reduce cost and wasted time by eliminating the manual guesswork of traditional law firm marketing

"What excites us about FirmPilot is their focus on solving a critical pain point for small business owners end-to-end. FirmPilot has demonstrated the ability to deliver cost-effective leads to law firms with minimal involvement, and we're confident in their ability to bring this to new industries over time," said Adam Coccari, Managing Director of HubSpot Ventures. "We're looking forward to working with the FirmPilot team as they continue empowering SMBs to drive growth through AI-powered marketing."

FirmPilot's proprietary AI legal marketing engine takes an "X-ray" of a firm's competitive landscape, analyzing trends and patterns in the SEO, Ads, and other digital marketing activity of a client's competitors. FirmPilot's clients have outperformed and outranked other firms to increase lead volume and improve lead quality. The company's proprietary AI knowledge model learns from a comprehensive database of more than 3,000+ relevant legal cases and has analyzed more than 5,000,000 pieces of content used by law firms. With a growing and evolving set of data, the FirmPilot AI marketing engine continues to learn, train and improve its algorithms in high-demand consumer law areas such as personal injury, workers' compensation, family (divorce, custody), immigration and criminal defense. Partnering with Thomson Reuters and HubSpot Ventures provides a huge opportunity to expand FirmPilot's data strategy for its AI models.

"It's been incredible to witness the shift in the legal industry, where firm owners are no longer just focused on practicing law or building successful firms—they also aim to build great companies and lead not only as attorneys but also as CEOs," said Jake Soffer, founder and CEO of FirmPilot. "This evolution demands that they move faster and more strategically, and the suite of AI tools now available to the legal field is enabling firms to accomplish exponentially more in a fraction of the time it once took."

About FirmPilot

FirmPilot is the leader in AI Legal Marketing. FirmPilot's patent-pending AI Legal Marketing Execution Engine provides companies with a modern way to grow their firm with strategies built entirely on data and intelligence. The company is backed by leading investors such as Blumberg Capital, HubSpot Ventures, Thomson Reuters Ventures, Valor Ventures, SaaS Ventures, FJ Labs, and Connexa Capital. Learn more about FirmPilot: www.FirmPilot.com.