Insights

When trust breaks down inside a company, the consequences can be commercially devastating. Understanding your legal options early can protect both your position and your investment.

Australian courts can enforce Chinese court judgments where strict legal criteria are met. A recent Victorian Supreme Court decision confirms how the process works.

Not every damaging review is protected speech. Learn when legal action may be available, and why acting early matters.

Market value might grab the headlines in compulsory acquisition cases, but it is often the hidden costs that matter most. The Manor Lakes litigation reshaped how Victorian courts treat disturbance, confirming that stamp duty on replacement land is not a sunk cost, but a compensable consequence of losing development “stock in trade”. For developers and authorities alike, it remains the definitive guide to replenishing land banks after acquisition.

A land sale is not “sold” for compensation purposes when the contract is signed. The Plunkett decision confirms settlement is the critical trigger—reshaping how timing, valuation and costs risk must be managed.

A family farm. A compulsory acquisition. And a valuation claim that jumped from $7.7 million to $64 million before collapsing at VCAT. The Sparrovale case shows how land is really valued in Victoria — and why speculative claims don’t survive scrutiny.

A landmark Victorian Court of Appeal ruling has settled a decades-old compensation battle, confirming how historic planning blight payments must be treated when land is finally acquired. The Jomaring decision closes a loophole and reinforces a core principle of compulsory acquisition law: the public should never pay for the same land twice.

The Stella case draws a sharp line around disturbance compensation, confirming that reinvestment costs are not always a recoverable loss. A cautionary tale for landowners navigating life after acquisition.

The Brompton Lodge litigation is a defining case on compulsory acquisition and planning reservation compensation, drawing a hard line between real financial loss and hypothetical valuation.

The Provans case is a masterclass in how compulsory acquisition claims can unravel — from intertwined statutory offers to the harsh reality of fragile tenancy interests and strict causation rules.

Tony Raunic grew up in Ballarat where plain speaking wasn’t a communication strategy — it was simply how people talked. Those instincts have followed him through a career that has spanned local government, community banking boards and now leadership at Hunt & Hunt Lawyers. From council chambers to boardrooms, the former mayor still believes the best advice is the clearest advice — and most mornings he rides into the office to deliver it.

Our tips for an amicable divorce or separation can reduce emotional strain, save on legal costs, and make it easier for both parties to move forward.