Lauren is an experienced lawyer and commercial disputes specialist with experience practising in Victoria and Western Australia. She specialises in commercial litigation, public law, dispute resolution, alternative dispute resolution and intellectual property disputes.
Lauren has acted in large-scale, high-profile, complex and contested public sector and corporate disputes in both Western Australia and Victoria, as well as both the Federal Court of Australia and the High Court of Australia. She currently acts for the Head, Transport for Victoria in ~$53 million of litigation concerning the compulsory acquisition of land for the Mordialloc Bypass, and for the Suburban Rail Loop Authority with respect to an ~$80 million dispute concerning acquisition of an environmental asset in Victoria. She has acted for numerous additional public sector clients in Victoria, including the Suburban Rail Loop Authority, the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, Bass Coast Shire Council and V/Line. More broadly, she has acted for international corporate clients such as Cargill, Schutz and Santam (South Africa’s largest insurer).
Lauren prides herself on being highly detail orientated and having a deep understanding of her client’s legal, financial and commercial needs. She works collaboratively with her team, counsel and with clients to provide effectual and strategic advice, and success for the client. She specialises in efficiently resolving disputes and constantly strives to support her client’s journey throughout the entire life cycle of a dispute.
- Acting for Head, Transport for Victoria in two Supreme Court of Victoria proceedings defending ~$53 million in compensation claimed concerning compulsory acquisition for the Mordialloc Bypass Project. We successfully defended two of the claims at first instance, with the Court rejecting the Plaintiff’s novel arguments and upholding our client’s interpretation of the legislation, which made new law in the jurisdiction. These proceedings have since gone on appeal to the Supreme Court of Victoria Court of Appeal, and were the subject of a special leave application to the High Court of Australia. Both appeals were successfully defended, with all levels of courts ultimately upholding our client's statutory interpretation. This significant litigation concluded extremely favourably for our client, noting discrete issues remain ongoing.
- Acting for the Suburban Rail Loop Authority in defending an ongoing ~$80 million claim concerning multiple interests in an environmental asset across multiple titles having been compulsorily acquired in Victoria in accordance with the Land Acquisition and Compensation Act 1986 (Vic). This matter involves novel claims across each interest in relation to contamination and land management, which involves the engaging of multiple expert disciplines.
- Acting for Suburban Rail Loop Authority in two disputed claims in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal defending ~$11 million in compensation claimed concerning compulsory acquisition of multiple parcels of land. This dispute progressed on a compressed timetable which involved active team management, including across multiple expert disciplines and considering many alternate scenarios, to ultimately negotiate a successful resolution, by which the matter settled on extremely favourable terms for our client.
- Acting for Head, Transport for Victoria in a disputed claim in the Supreme Court of Victoria in relation to the Darebin Yarra Trail, for compulsory acquisition and temporary occupation under the Land Acquisition and Compensation Act 1986 (Vic). The matter involves novel claims in relation to disturbance losses, special value and alleged interests in adverse possession. We resisted the Claimants’ novel claims over the passage of more than six years from the date of acquisition, with the matter settling on terms favourable to the Authority. Significantly, in settling this dispute, the Authority did not compromise on the legal principles of the dispute, or make payment in relation to any land that it had not acquired or temporarily occupied.
- Advising a large regional council on a $10 million dispute in the Supreme Court of Victoria in relation to disputed claims surrounding a 10-year services contract for waste management worth approximately $10 million. The dispute concerned a waste facility’s legal non-compliance, and was managed so that the client could continue its day-to-day involvement in the contract while also involved in the litigation. We negotiated a successful resolution that regained management of the facility and protected this sensitive environmental asset.
- Acting for a leading Australian transport operator in relation to a contractual dispute in the Supreme Court of Victoria as to the quality of services performed by its contractor. This matter settled on extremely favourable terms for the client.
- Investigating on behalf of a department allegations about fraud on an incentives scheme, providing a report about the conduct, and making recommendations about changes to the scheme going forward, which were adopted.
- Acting for one of America’s largest private companies in contested preliminary discovery applications in the Federal Court proceedings in New South Wales, in relation to breach of a partnership and supply agreement. The matter settled on favourable terms for our client.
- Advising in relation to large-scale disputes, including a $100 million dispute concerning a gas pipeline, a contractual dispute in the Supreme Court of Victoria with respect to a property development worth $1 billion, and an $80 million international arbitration in the Supreme Court of Western Australia concerning breach of a mining tenement sale agreement.
- Advising on domestic and international intellectual property matters, including representing a world leading industrial packaging manufacturer in concurrent Federal Court proceedings against Australian manufacturers for patent and trade mark infringement, and misleading and deceptive conduct. Most recently, settling a trademark infringement matter on favourable terms, and defending the client against a claim for trademark infringement concerning use of its trading name and logo.
'Your countless hours, dedication, and advice in both the Appeal and Trial proceedings really has been the determining factor of our success in these matters.'
Government client