Victoria

The Victorian Building Authority will stand trial in the County Court on charges connected to the death of one of its inspectors.

Are group costs orders a factor in deciding a bid to transfer a class action? Can the orders survive the move to an inhospitable state? These questions are to be decided by the High Court Wednesday, in a ruling that will clarify the relevance and reach of Victoria's contingency fee regime.

A judge has consolidated two class actions against Insurance Australia over alleged misleading loyalty discounts and rejected the insurer’s objection to the inclusion of documents produced by ASIC in the first-filed case.

The Supreme Court of Victoria has been urged not to meddle with a 25 per cent group costs order in a junk insurance class action that settled for $170 million, in what would be the court's second blessing of a law firm contingency fee.

Lendlease has been awarded a major contract for construction on a new National Gallery of Victoria building to showcase contemporary art, which recently received a $100 million philanthropic cash injection.

Boroondara City Council has sued ADCO seeking urgent orders that it sign a deed of guarantee under a $59 million contract to redevelop Kew Recreation Centre, as the builder faces charges over a roof collapse.

Duke Ventures has succeeded in setting aside a statutory demand from the builder of a 10-storey development in Collingwood, with a judge finding the property developer can rely on a $6 million offsetting claim. 

A former client of Holding Redlich has brought proceedings against the firm over what he says were inadequate fee disclosures. 

Liquidators of collapsed developer Crown Group have brought legal action against the company's partner in a joint venture to build a residential tower in Melbourne's Southbank, seeking to force a sale of the property.