- Status
- Stayed (stayed)
- As of
- 19 Sep 2023 · read from the court record
- Court
- Supreme Court of Victoria · First instance
- Docket
- S ECI 2023 00413
- Judge
- Nichols J
- Filed
- 3 Feb 2023
- Type
- Class action, shareholder and securities lawsuits
- Money
- No settlement fund or award on record
- Payout
- No payout exists as of 14 Nov 2026
Status words follow the court record: a complaint states one side's allegations, only the court's orders decide anything. Filing a settlement claim is always free.
What this case is about
A Woodsford-funded competing class action (filed 3 February 2023) over the same disclosures; after the June 2023 multiplicity hearing Nichols J gave carriage to the Slater and Gordon (DA Lynch) proceeding on 19 September 2023 and permanently stayed this proceeding ([2023] VSC 561). Investors are directed to the DA Lynch proceeding.
What this case is about
Jowene Pty Ltd v The Star Entertainment Group Ltd is a shareholder class action in the Supreme Court of Victoria, proceeding S ECI 2023 00413 (GL-AU-0006). Phi Finney McDonald filed it on February 3, 2023, with funding from Woodsford.
The case is one of the shareholder and securities lawsuits against gambling companies connected to Star. The plaintiff, Jowene Pty Ltd, acts as trustee for the Biro Citer Souvenirs Pty Limited Pension Fund. The claims are continuous disclosure breaches and misleading or deceptive conduct.
These are allegations by the plaintiff. A court has not decided them in this proceeding.
Who is covered
The proceeding was brought for investors who acquired or held Star shares between March 29, 2016 and June 13, 2022. Because the case is permanently stayed, nobody is being represented through it today.
Investors are directed to the DA Lynch proceeding instead. For other Australian matters, see Gambling Lawsuits in Australia.
Is there a payout?
No payout exists in this case. The proceeding is permanently stayed, and the record shows no fund, no settlement and no claim process.
Any compensation for shareholders would have to come from a different proceeding, and none has reached a settlement in the record we hold.
What the court decided
After the June 2023 multiplicity hearing, Nichols J gave carriage to the Slater and Gordon (DA Lynch) proceeding on September 19, 2023. The same ruling permanently stayed this proceeding ([2023] VSC 561).
Multiplicity means several law firms had filed competing class actions over the same disclosures. The court chose one to continue and stayed the rest.
As of November 14, 2026 the status is stayed. The company's wider record is in Star Entertainment lawsuits.
Why it matters
The ruling shows how Australian courts handle competing shareholder class actions: the Woodsford-funded case did not receive carriage and was stayed without a ruling on the claims.
For investors, the working action is the one that won carriage. See DA Lynch Pty Ltd v The Star Entertainment Group Ltd, which is filed.
Questions people ask
Who is funding the Phi Finney McDonald class action?
The record names Woodsford as funder of this proceeding, which Phi Finney McDonald filed on February 3, 2023. The proceeding is now permanently stayed.
What happened to the Phi Finney McDonald action?
Nichols J gave carriage to the Slater and Gordon (DA Lynch) proceeding on September 19, 2023 and permanently stayed this one in [2023] VSC 561.
Where should Star investors look now?
The record directs investors to the DA Lynch proceeding. That case is filed, and no settlement or claim deadline exists.
Related cases
- DA Lynch Pty Ltd v The Star Entertainment Group Ltd is the Slater and Gordon proceeding that took carriage and is currently filed.
Who is involved
Plaintiffs: Jowene Pty Ltd as trustee for the Biro Citer Souvenirs Pty Limited Pension Fund, for investors who acquired or held Star shares 29 March 2016 to 13 June 2022
| Defendants | The Star Entertainment Group Limited |
|---|---|
| Class counsel | Phi Finney McDonald |
| Judge | Nichols J |
| Claims |
|
If you need a lawyer, start with the court-appointed class counsel named above or the bar association referral service of your state or country. This site does not refer readers to law firms.
Is there a payout?
No payout exists in this case as of 14 Nov 2026. A settlement or judgment would have to come first, and any claim procedure would be announced by the court-appointed administrator, never by this site.
What happens next
No future date is on the record we hold. The next step is a court order, a dismissal, a settlement or a judgment; this page changes when one is entered.
Timeline
2 dated steps on record, oldest first. Future dates come from court notices and can move.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 3 Feb 2023 | Filed |
| 19 Sep 2023 | Stayed |
Documents and sources
1 primary source (court file, administrator notice, regulator) and 1 secondary. Press is supporting evidence only.
- Court document: supremecourt.vic.gov.au
- Press coverage: phifinneymcdonald.com
| What it supports | Source | Type | Retrieved |
|---|---|---|---|
| plaintiff, class period, allegations, carriage outcome and stay | phifinneymcdonald.com | n/a | 14 Nov 2026 |
| proceeding S ECI 2023 00413 filed 3 February 2023 by Phi Finney McDonald, funder Woodsford, permanently stayed 19 September 2023 | supremecourt.vic.gov.au | primary | 14 Nov 2026 |
Related cases
1 case in the record share parties, claims or a settlement with this one.
| Case | Court | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Star Entertainment shareholder class action (Slater and Gordon) | Supreme Court of Victoria | Filed, pending |
Last checked against the sources on 14 Nov 2026. Found an error? Tell us and we correct the record with a dated note.