Jesse Kennedy

A top in-house lawyer at Dexus has told a court the real estate asset manager was using an altered form of a non-disclosure agreement with bidders of a portion of its APAC bloc of shares without the approval of the airport operator's co-owners.

The court battle between APAC and major shareholder Dexus over the sale of an investor's stake in the airport operator went to a hearing this week, but it's the solicitors representing the warring parties that found themselves on trial.

A senior in-house lawyer at Dexus has rejected suggestions she was “careless” in her role in the sale of shares in Melbourne Airport operator APAC, saying she relied on a subordinate lawyer and others within the business. 

Lawyers assured two Dexus executives that it was OK to share the confidential information of Melbourne Airport operator APAC with proposed purchasers of the real estate asset manager's stake in the company, a court has heard.

A judge has threatened to vacate the trial in Dexus’ case against Melbourne Airport operator APAC after all the defendants tried to file documents late, suggesting the lawyers may be hit with personal costs orders.

Questioning of the first witness in Dexus' case against Melbourne Airport's operator was an hour in when trial was halted by the judge, who complained of flying by the seat of his pants, documentary evidence-wise.

Dexus has halved the number of documents it claims are shielded by legal privilege from production to fellow owners of airport operator APAC ahead of trial over an alleged breach of a shareholder deed, a court heard Monday.

Real estate asset manager Dexus has won access to advice given by the lawyers of two shareholders of airport operator APAC over an alleged breach of a shareholder deed. 

Dexus has claimed legal professional privilege prevents fellow owners of airport operator APAC from accessing tens of thousands of documents as they prepare for trial over an alleged breach of a shareholder deed.

Airport operator Australia Pacific Airports Corporation has won its bid to delay an upcoming trial in a dispute with Dexus over alleged breaches of a shareholder deed, after the real estate asset manager discovered 20,000 documents only last week.