An appeals court has thrown out a $285,000 negligence judgment against Sparke Helmore over two sales contracts worth $1.5 million and rejected a NSW developer’s attempts to squeeze the law firm for a heftier damages bill.
Law firm Sparke Helmore negligently failed to alert a NSW developer to an imminent deadline for two land sale contracts in a troubled $30 million development because a paralegal, rather than a solicitor, was “at the helm”, an appeals court has heard.
A NSW developer says law firm Sparke Helmore should face a heftier damages bill for its negligence in failing to alert it to an imminent deadline in two land sale contracts worth a combined $1.5 million that were part of a troubled $30 million development.
Sparke Helmore will have to pay $285,598 in damages for its negligence in advising a New South Wales property developer, but a judge found the law firm should not be on the hook for costs because the lawsuit was filed in the wrong court.
A property developer suing law firm Sparke Helmore in a $1 million negligence suit has resisted a bid for $215,000 in security for costs made weeks ahead of a four-day hearing in the matter, calling the sum “excessive”.