Victoria

Former silk Norman O’Bryan argued Thursday for no prison time after pleading guilty in a criminal case over his role in the Banksia Securities class action. And he could win the argument, with a judge saying she was considering a community service sentence.

A Toorak developer has been barred from calling on nearly $500,000 in security, with a court finding an allegation against contractor Kronstruct was “irrational and misconceived" and did not result in the alleged $1.6 million loss. 

Concrete company Barro Group is facing a class action on behalf of landowners over emissions from its Sunshine landfill in a Melbourne suburb, which has been on fire for over six years.

The High Court has thrown out Victoria's $4,970 cap on political donations months ahead of the next state elections, finding the law is unconstitutional and unlawfully benefits the major parties.

A judge has ordered financier MaxCap to hand over certificates of title for property associated with collapsed developer APH Holding's $320 million Wellington Health precinct in the Melbourne suburb of Box Hill.

Owners and head contractors could be caught out for unexpected payments and lose rights they thought they had, as far-reaching changes to Victoria’s security of payment regime take effect today, a construction expert told Lawyerly. 

Victoria's Building and Plumbing Commission has suspended a prominent building surveyor over a series of alleged failures in relation to a Carnegie renovation.

Bentleys Wealth is suing a former director and his companies alleging he poached clients after leaving the firm, in breach of his employment agreement and various duties. 

The Victorian Court of Appeal will rule on whether to grant a lawyer an extension to appeal a tribunal decision ordering that he be removed from the roll and barred from practicing for nine years, after he argued a judge's adverse comments about him during an adjournment rendered a tribunal decision void. 

Pitcher Partners has taken a former client to court, alleging it failed to pay a $1.3 million 'abort fee' after it withdrew from a proposal to sell the business.