A profits warning put paid to Philip Smith’s tenure at the insurer RSA. He claims he had no alternative but to leave, writes Kyran Fitzgerald.

The former head of RSA Insurance Group’s Irish unit said an internal company report effectively accused him of being a bully, laying the ground for his departure.

RSA Insurance said it will fight a constructive dismissal case filed by the former head of its Irish unit, who stepped down more than a year ago amid an accounting scandal.

A dispute over whether bankrupt developer Sean Dunne validly transferred various property assets to his wife Gayle, including a hotel in South Africa, has come before the Commercial Court.

State-owned AIB is on its way back to privatisation after the Commercial Court approved its application to reduce its share capital by €5bn.

Companies in the Blackstone Private Equity group have asked the High Court to strike out claims that they conspired to take over several companies of brothers Michael and John O’Flynn.

An action over a €23m deficit in the pension scheme of State forestry body Coillte Teoranta, affecting 2,000 people, has been settled at the commercial court on undisclosed terms.

A hearing date has been fixed next month for an action over a €23 million deficit in the pension scheme of State forestry body Coillte Teoranta affecting 2,000 people.

A building company has sued Irish Asphalt Limited (IAL) for loss and damage for alleged deceit over putting on the market an in-fill product when it allegedly knew it was “not fit for purpose” and contained excessive amounts of reactive pyrite.

The liquidators of stockbroking firm Bloxham have agreed to mediation with the firm’s former insurance broker, Robertson Low, of their claim for more than €15m damages arising from Bloxham allegedly being “chronically underinsured”.

Billionaire businessman Denis O’Brien has alleged before the High Court that Declan Ganley has acted “maliciously” and out of “spite” in bringing proceedings against him over the award of the State’s second mobile phone licence to Esat Digifone.

Four ESB workers have brought a legal challenge over what they say is the “willful and deliberate” failure by the company to address a €1.5bn deficit in their pension scheme.

A senior manager with AIB was suspended from his job following an allegation that he facilitated alleged tax evasion at the former League of Ireland club, Galway United, the High Court heard yesterday.

The former operator of the National Aquatic Centre is claiming over €30m losses and damages over being pursued by a state-owned company for years to pay €10m Vat under the centre’s lease.

The High Court has ruled that the trustees of Aer Lingus workers’ pensions funds must be given prior notice of a proposed €500m distribution from Aer Lingus’s capital reserves so as to pay dividends to shareholders.

The High Court will make a final ruling next week on Aer Lingus’s bid to reduce its capital reserves by €500m so as to pay dividends to shareholders.

Dunnes Stores has launched a Supreme Court appeal in a legal row with fashion company Karen Millen over the protection of fashion designs.

A petition to wind up retail giant Dunnes Stores has been withdrawn at the Commercial Court after the company paid €21.6m owed for a shopping centre development in Kilkenny.

Retail giant Aldi is to receive €150,000 damages and legal costs under a settlement of its action against Tesco over infringement of Aldi trademarks in a Tesco advertising campaign.

Dunnes Stores chief Margaret Heffernan has told Nama it will be held responsible for the “very significant losses” her company will “inevitably” experience if a petition to wind up the retail giant over non-payment of €21.6m for a Kilkenny shopping centre development is pursued.

A book by the former partner of late broadcaster Gerry Ryan is back on the shelves today after a High Court action temporarily preventing its distribution was settled.

A company operating the Dundalk bypass toll road has sued over an alleged outstanding debt of €1.57m.

An action brought by Harry Crosbie’s Point Village Development firm against Dunnes Stores over its failure to fit out an anchor store at Dublin’s Point Village has opened before the High Court.

The sale of a book written by the late Gerry Ryan’s girlfriend has been dramatically stopped by the courts.

A senior judge has questioned why the son of bankrupt billionaire Sean Quinn should be freed from jail.

Seán Quinn Jr is to be allowed out of jail to attend his Supreme Court appeal next Tuesday and Wednesday against imprisonment for contempt of court orders.

Sean Quinn Junior is to be allowed out of jail to attend his Supreme Court appeal next Tuesday and Wednesday against imprisonment for contempt of court orders.

Dublin Airport Authority is to ask the High Court next Friday to restrain threatened industrial action by SIPTU that would effectively close down Dublin, Shannon and Cork airports.

The grip on the empire controlled by the man who was once Ireland’s richest individual has been prised a further notch open following one of the most dramatic days in the recent history of the Four Courts.

A High Court judge yesterday ordered the jailing of the son and nephew of bankrupt businessman Seán Quinn for three months for contempt.

The son and nephew of bankrupt ex-billionaire Sean Quinn have today been sentenced to three months in jail for contempt after trying to hide a €500m property portfolio from the former Anglo Irish Bank.

The Supreme Court has reserved judgment on appeals by two unsuccessful bidders for the State’s second mobile phone licence aimed at allowing them proceed with actions challenging the manner in which the licence was allocated in 1995 to Esat Digifone.

Injunction proceedings brought by an executive with Independent News and Media seeking to prevent his dismissal were adjourned yesterday.

Anglo Irish Bank unlawfully tried to prop up its share price by “shovelling” about €2.34bn loans into companies in the Quinn Group after learning in Sept 2007 of a “towering” Quinn shareholding in Anglo that could collapse the bank.

BUSINESSMAN Sean Quinn and his family may challenge the jurisdiction of the courts to hear proceedings by Anglo Irish Bank aimed at preventing the family transferring assets, over which the bank holds security, from Swedish companies which hold the family’s properties in several countries.

THE long-running action by businessman Philip Lynch and his family aimed at preventing AIB pursuing them for repayment of a €25 million development loan is expected to conclude at the Commercial Court today.

EVIDENCE has concluded in the long-running action by businessman Philip Lynch and his family aimed at preventing Allied Irish Banks pursuing them for repayment of a €25 million loan issued to them and developer Gerry Conlan to buy development lands in Waterford.

A SOLICITOR has denied he “mixed up” the concepts of security and recourse in an email stating Allied Irish Bank “no longer require any legal recourse” against businessman Philip Lynch, developer Gerry Conlan “and the Lynch children” for a €25 million loan to buy development lands in Waterford.

THE Sunday Tribune and journalist Matt Cooper have apologised before the High Court to businessman Dermot Desmond over two articles published in the newspaper in 2001 and 2002.

FORMER Anglo Irish Bank chief David Drumm is likely to retain his €250,000 annual pension and a €500,000 share in his Cape Cod home on foot of filing for voluntary bankruptcy in the US.

FORMER Anglo Irish Bank chief executive David Drumm is resisting the bank’s bid for summary judgment orders for€8.3 million against him over unpaid loans and is counterclaiming for €2.6m over termination of his employment and loss of bonuses, the Commercial Court heard yesterday.

A HIGH COURT judge has warned POD Concerts there will be “serious consequences” if it fails to honour by Thursday all aspects of its agreement with the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) over royalty payments for live music events.

THE owners of the Shelbourne Hotel have been given permission by the High Court to seek an order compelling the company managing the landmark Dublin city centre hotel to allow them access to the hotel’s books and records.

A British judge will rule in an Irish courtroom today as the landmark civil action claim over the Omagh bombing takes another groundbreaking step.