Region

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. 

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.

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

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.

Gold exploration company Zuleika Gold has to produce a draft technical report to Vango Mining as it seeks "significant damages' over a repudiated joint venture agreement, with a judge finding an affidavit from its solicitor put the report squarely in issue. 

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.

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

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

An appeals court has rejected a bid by NSW MP and convicted rapist Gareth Ward to block state parliament from expelling him until any appeals against his conviction are determined.

Victoria will continue to be a magnet for class actions after the High Court shot down solicitors' common fund orders as clashing with NSW law, but the door may still be open for garden state lawyers to try their luck in the Federal Court.