Our expert practice areas include:

Property & Commercial

We practice in property conveyancing, leasing, and complex commercial litigation, handling shareholder disputes, equitable claims, PPSR matters, and urgent relief such as injunctions and statutory demand proceedings.

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Building & Construction

Expert legal representation for strata, owners, and contractors in NSW building disputes. We lead complex litigation and technical claims under the Home Building Act and Design and Building Practitioners Act.

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Strata

We provide expert legal advice and representation for owners corporations and individuals, with special emphasis in construction defects, by-laws, governance, and complex disputes across all NSW courts and NCAT.

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Wills & Estates

Our team offers compassionate expertise in drafting wills, managing estate administration, and resolving litigation. We provide clear, effective legal guidance for both straightforward and complex personal matters.

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Regulatory, Process & Discipline

Significant experience in government investigations and disciplinary proceedings, we represent professionals in a variety of ways, from disciplinary proceedings to licensing issues at Tribunals, and in the Supreme or Federal Court as required. Our expertise covers the entire regulatory lifecycle as well as complex workplace disputes.

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White CollarCrime

Expert representation for corporate offenses, fraud, cybercrime, and international investigations. We navigate complex domestic and global frameworks to provide strategic defense against regulatory enforcement and financial allegations.

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Public International Law

We offer strategic representation for international investigations, ad-hoc tribunals, and war crimes. Our experts navigate global conventions and complex legal frameworks to protect clients in high-stakes proceedings.

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Media & Defamation

We provide strategic advice on defamation and injurious falsehood claims for plaintiffs and defendants. Our team manages high-pressure media crises (including urgent press releases), reputational risk, and complex liability issues, including the "10-employee rule."

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Your Trusted Law Firm in Sydney

FAQs

Because the statutory warranty periods run strictly from the date of completion, getting this date wrong can mean a defect claim is made too late. Courts and tribunals enforce these time limits very strictly, so determining the correct completion date is often the first and most important step in any building defect matter.

Clients need to be extremely careful because proceedings commenced in the wrong jurisdiction may later be transferred to another forum at great cost and expense. In some cases, parties may spend years litigating in one jurisdiction only for the matter to be transferred elsewhere because the original forum did not have the requisite jurisdiction. As noted in The Owners – Strata Plan No 47035 v Athens [2025] NSWSC 1588, this can result in the enormous cost and time already spent in one jurisdiction being “essentially for nothing.”

To comply with the policy and protect your right to claim, you must notify icare HBCF as soon as you become aware of any defect, loss, or problem - usually by lodging a Loss Notification Form. This must be done within the required timeframes, generally within six months of becoming aware of the issue. Even after notifying HBCF, you must still take reasonable steps to pursue the builder until a trigger event occurs.

This matters because it affects money, repairs, approvals and risk. If something is common property, the owners corporation must arrange and pay for repairs. If something is lot property, the lot owner pays. Getting this wrong can mean unexpected bills or delays while responsibility is argued. It also matters for renovations, insurance and liability, particularly where boundaries are unclear.

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