The High Court’s abolition of the so-called Chorley exception, which allowed self-represented lawyers to recover their own expenses, also extends to incorporated legal practices through which a sole practitioner operates, a court has found.
Two former clients of Johnson Winter & Slattery cannot split a trial in their negligence proceeding against the law firm and have had a subpoena set aside as “vexatious, oppressive and unfair”.
Three Sydney-based law firms are now facing claims by Australian-Chinese investors seeking over $6 million in damages for allegedly negligent advice provided about investment properties developed by the now collapsed Ralan Group.
A Sydney criminal barrister is challenging a ruling that she engaged in unsatisfactory professional conduct by performing unnecessary work for her client and threatening to cancel a visit to see him in prison unless his father coughed up $5,000 first.
An IOOF subsidiary has appealed a $76.6 million judgment finding it breached its duty in the sale of a 46,000 hectare plantation by collapsed forestry giant Gunns Group and shooting down its cross claim seeking to pass liability onto law firm Sparke Helmore.
A court has slashed the costs awarded to a Tucker & Cowen name partner in a lawsuit brought by the liquidators of failed fund manager Equititrust, citing a recent High Court ruling that found self-represented lawyers cannot recover their own expenses.
Law firm Thomson Geer is facing a negligence lawsuit by a commercial property investment firm over advice it gave in relation to a $120 million Melbourne car park acquisition.
A bid to join Shine Lawyers and barrister David Turner to a negligence suit against an Australian law firm retained to assist with a $630,000 contractual dispute has been dismissed after a judge found it was “not just, desirable or convenient” to drag the two parties into the dispute.
A judge has dismissed a professional negligence claim against a personal injury law firm, finding no prospect of success for a former client who alleged the firm “coerced” him into settlement of a workplace sexual assault case so they could receive their costs.
HWL Ebsworth has resolved a lawsuit alleging one of its partners helped the former directors of an insolvent mobile ticketing company divert the proceeds of a life insurance policy to pay money owed to the firm.