Who We Are

Elizabeth Harris	Peter Trimbos	Carmen Papageorge	Antoinette Austin
Debra Paver	Megan Austin	Paula Winspear	Deidre Bohan
Naomi Murray

Our Results

Cases in which we have been involved include:

Commercial Litigation
Personal Injury
Building Cases
Intellectual Property and Patents

Commercial Litigation

Seven Limited v News Limited & Ors (C7 case)
Federal court proceedings brought by Seven against News, Telstra, Optus, Ten, the ARL, the AFL and others relating to closure of the C7 Sports Channel.  One of the largest Federal Court cases to run to trial.  Liz Harris was engaged as expert witness by Seven Limited in respect of claims for tens of millions of dollars in costs by the defendants in a gross sum costs application.

P Dawson Nominees v Multiplex Ltd
A shareholder class action relating to the drop in the Multiplex share price subsequent to release of information regarding losses on the Wembley stadium project.  We were engaged as expert witnesses in security for costs applications.

Ipex v Melbourne Water
Complex commercial dispute where we were engaged on behalf of the defendant to deal with costs arising from multiple amendments to the statement of claim, and in security for costs applications.

Citylink Melbourne Ltd v The Commissioner of Taxation of the Commonwealth of Australia
Tax case that proceeded to the High Court and established new law

In the matter of the Will of Peter Brock, deceased 
Complex Estate dispute

Gray v University of West Australia
An application for gross sum costs in Federal Court proceedings involving the issue of ownership of intellectual property relating to work undertaken by a scientist employed by the University.

Premier Investments v Spotless & Ors
A complex environmental contamination case with multiple parties and complex costs issues

Dismin v Australian Commissioner for Taxation
A tax dispute relating to valuation of overseas assets and involving cost issues relating to significant costs of expert witnesses regarding valuation methodology

GEC Marconi Ltd v BHP Information Technology
One of the largest and longest taxations of cost conducted in the Federal Court, involving multiple and competing cost orders, cost orders relating to cost of issues and conducted in the Canberra Registry of the Federal Court.

TXU v Office of the Regulator General
Proceedings involving a challenge to electricity pricing and involving cost issues relating to significant costs of expert witnesses

Lauren/Jendas v Jolly & Ors (the Pyramid proceedings)

Cowell (McCabe) v British American Tobacco
Proceedings brought by a smoker against a Tobacco company where initially judgement was entered against the defendant due to findings that the company had destroyed documents as part of a document retention policy.  Judgement was overturned on appeal.  We acted on behalf the company, initially in taxing the plaintiff’s bill of costs on an indemnity basis, and subsequently in pursuing costs awarded to the company.

Riley v Commonwealth of Australia , Olinga v Commonwealth of Australia
(Melbourne/Voyager claims)

Aquatec-Maxcon Pty Ltd v Barwon Region Water Corporation
A complex building case involving proportionate liability issues with multiple parties and complex costs issues

Inoffice Partitions v Manningham Medical Centre
An application for gross sum costs in an arbitration

Riverwild Investments v Di Mella Constructions & Ors
The largest domestic building case conducted in VCAT with complex cost orders relating to a single party in multi party litigation and requiring identification of work relating to that individual party.

Lines McFarlane & Marshall v Fletcher
Dispute involving architectural design of a prison.  We were initially involved following a significant amendment to a counterclaim just prior to trial, in recovering costs thrown away by reason of the amendment, which required an analysis of each of the hundreds heads of claim to compare the changes in claim.  Costs were also awarded to the plaintiff in his personal capacity and it was necessary to establish a basis of claim for these.  Subsequently we were involved in recovering the costs of the trial at first instance, and opposing the costs of an appeal.

Abigroup v Southern Region
An application for gross sum costs in an arbitration

Nutrasweet v Ajinomoto
Intellectual property dispute involving issues about patentability of artificial sweeteners

Philips v Remington
Dispute involving design of the triple headed razor, which proceeded to the High Court and was part of worldwide proceedings between