From the ongoing saga of the high-profile Christian Porter action against the ABC to “backyard” litigation testing the serious harm bar, defamation cases made headlines in 2022, with winners and losers alike shelling out millions to lawyers to protect their reputations.
Former Attorney-General Christian Porter has lost his challenge to a ruling that barred silk Sue Chrysanthou from representing him in his now-settled defamation lawsuit against the ABC over its coverage of historical rape allegations.
Former attorney-general Christian Porter has told the Full Court that silk Sue Chrysanthou had to act for him in his defamation action against the ABC over an article airing historical rape allegations, saying she could not refuse the brief simply because a friend of his rape accuser “wishes him ill”.
A Sydney-based law firm and one if its senior partners has defeated lawsuits by five former clients alleging breach of duties and conflict of interest relating to a rejected $4.45 million settlement in an employment case against Westpac.
Norton Rose Fulbright has been hit with indemnity costs in a long-running case brought by a former partner, with a judge finding the law firm persisted with its “continued maintenance of groundless denials” in the lead-up to a $160,000 judgment against it.
A sacked Norton Rose Fulbright partner is challenging a $160,000 award handed down by a judge who found the law firm intentionally deceived him in litigation over his dismissal, arguing the sum is “manifestly inadequate”.
A finding this week that Norton Rose Fulbright intentionally misled a former lawyer in an employment dispute and abused the court’s processes threatens the legal career of an equity partner at the firm and is a warning to all firms to think twice before representing themselves in cases involving soured professional relationships.
A former Norton Rose Fulbright partner has won a long-running case over his termination, with a judge ruling the law firm had intentionally misled the lawyer and must pay him $160,000 for its deception.
The settlement sum in three class actions against law firms that allegedly gave negligent advice about property investments in the now-defunct Ralan Group has been suppressed, after the court heard there was a risk of future claims being brought.
Three Sydney-based law firms have agreed to settle the class actions brought against them by Australian-Chinese investors seeking over $6 million in damages for allegedly negligent advice provided about investment properties developed by the now collapsed Ralan Group.