Region

A prominent Perth property developer who claims he was defamed by two WAToday articles has lost his bid to plead the existence of a conspiracy between publisher Fairfax and others, including Liberal MP Andrew Hastie and the former leader of the WA Liberals.

Law firm HWL Ebsworth, which was found liable for negligence over advice on a Parramatta land development, has lost its opposition to a referee process for calculating damages.

A judge has approved a 35 per cent group costs order in a shareholder class action against WiseTech, but said the relatively high rate could be revisited by the court at a later stage in the case. 

Parkview Constructions is looking to settle a second case over alleged combustible cladding at Australia Towers in Sydney Olympic Park.

On the first day of trial, a court has heard a class action over alleged negligent management of water flowing through the Murray Darling system is a “world away” from a climate change class action that recently failed at trial. 

Developer Goldfields Group has purchased the Quality Resort in Western Australia's Sorrento Beach in a $31 million off-market sale.

Energy giant Santos has won a dispute over its Gladstone LNG project, described by a court as "litigation on a monumental scale", securing a $692 million judgment against engineering firm Fluor with the help of four silks.

Mining magnate Clive Palmer has accused his lawyer of longstanding, Sam Iskander, of stealing $30 million in legal fees from his mining company Mineralogy.

A construction company working on accommodation for Rio Tinto FIFO workers has won its bid to set aside a $1 million creditor’s demand by a subcontractor, with a judge finding the demand was an abuse of process. 

A former Cornwalls client has brought proceedings over a $486,000 legal bill, claiming the law firm failed to provide updated costs estimates and did not disclose counsel rates while acting in a tribunal matter against a builder.