
Our lawyers have significant experience in applying for, or defending license matters in NSW before various bodies, including building licenses at Fair Trading.
Applying for a licence or trying to defend your licence is not an uncomplicated matter and can become very involved.
Careless mistakes or overlooking various questions, or not including relevant material and documents, can cause you a lot of headache when applying for your trade or other licence.
For example, sometimes you may forget to declare various matters, or make the wrong declarations; sometimes you forget to give proper reasons for why something has happened or you may give reasons which don’t really explain your position properly (e.g. you forgot to declare that you were a director of a company which was liquidated, and/or give proper reasons which lead to its insolvency). Overlooking important matters like that can sometime make or break your licence, and your career.
Sometimes the authority will write to you and ask you to explain and ‘show cause’ why you should be given a licence, or why your licence shouldn’t be taken away.
It is crucial that you have experienced lawyers who can support you in that process and make sure that ‘no stone is left unturned’ to try and preserve your most precious resource and the thing on which puts bread on your table: your licence!
Our lawyers can help and guide you, both when you’re applying for a licence (say a builder’s licence) or when you’re asked to ‘show cause’ why your licence shouldn’t be taken away.
We have extensive experience dealing with many licensing problems, including when a licence is danger because of a criminal conviction or some other matter which an authority can use to deem you to be unfit to hold the licence.
At Papallo Kouchoo Lawyers, we do our utmost to uphold your rights and to ensure that your career runs smoothly and that your licence is protected.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us for an obligation free professional consultation.
Understanding “completion date” for strata and non-strata buildings and why they matter
When dealing with building defects, one of the most important steps is identifying the date of completion of the work. This date is critical because…
Plead it properly or ‘go away’: Building and Design Practitioners Act Cases can be a nightmare for many!
Our lawyers are experts and are at the cutting edge of properly prosecuting and defending the Design and Building Practitioners Act (DBPA) claims.…
Why the Strata Building Bond Matters for Owners Corporations
The Strata Building Bond and Inspections Scheme, commonly referred to as the SBBIS, was introduced by the NSW Government as part of a broader effort…
Lot Property vs Common Property in NSW Strata (and Why It Matters)
If you live in a strata scheme in New South Wales, one of the most important things to understand is what you own as a lot owner, and what belongs to…
Building Defect Discovered in Your New Property? Key Things to Consider
Finding a building defect can be stressful, particularly because the consequences can range from minor inconvenience to major financial loss, safety…
The Value of an Experienced Expert in NSW Building Claims
When building defects or construction disputes arise in New South Wales, one of the most important decisions an owner, strata committee, builder, or…
Costs need tender loving care
In a recent case, Karpinski v The Owners - Strata Plan No 1731 [2026] NSWCATAP 12, the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) decided not to…
Care when bringing contractual claims
Utmost care should be taken when you (as a builder say, or an engineer, or an architect) want to bring contractual claims for damages or unpaid fees,…
Class Action Matters
Many times, it is easier to bring ‘class action’ or ‘representative’ proceedings if there are many claimants (usually seven or more applicants),…
Appealing costs orders
Many times, we advise clients who come to us in the hope of appealing costs orders made against them in a court or a tribunal whilst they were…
Suing designers, architects, certifiers, insurers, and speculative damages
We have previously discussed the importance of the NSW Home building Act 1989 (HBA) and the Building and Design Practitioners Act 2020 (DBPA) in…
Dealing with caveats
Caveats are like ‘flags’ placed against the title of real property (a home for example) which basically ‘reserve’ the real property and prevent its…
Disciplinary proceedings
The lawyers at Papallo Kouchoo have acted for various professionals in disciplinary proceedings, especially in the medical fields.
Owner-Builders: The Pitfalls
As we have intimated on these pages previously, the NSW Home building Act 1989 (HBA) and the Building and Design Practitioners Act 2020 (DBPA) have…
Defamation and injurious falsehood matters
This firm has considerable experience in the conduct of defamation and ancillary matters (as well as ‘injurious falsehood’ matters), including in…
Injunctions and urgent injunctions
Many times, urgent or immediate action needs to be taken in court (primarily the Supreme Court) to ensure that your rights to property for example,…
Appeals in Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (SOPA)
Claims under the Building and Construction Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW) (SOPA), the related responses (payment schedules) as well as disputes…
International Law Matters
We at Papallo Lawyers have extensive experience in conducting international matters and ensuring that various judgments in different courts…
Judicial review matters
Our Papallo Kouchoo lawyers have extensive experience in acting for clients in relation to ‘judicial review’ matters before the Supreme Court.
Mergers, Acquisitions, Takeovers and Proper Advice
The lawyers at Papallo Kouchoo have acted for various large scale corporations which required court supervision under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth)…
Contract Guarantees and Banks Guarantees
It is trite to say that all guarantees given by you as a business owner or as a parent for example, need to be very carefully considered.
Human rights in employment, education, medical field and court action
The lawyers at Papallo Kouchoo have acted for and consulted in relation to various high profile matters involving disputes as to employment rights,…
Corporations Proceedings including Oppression
Many clients can unfortunately fall foul of the provisions of the Commonwealth Corporations Act in various ways, which breaches can result in…
Association corporations matters in NSW
At Papallo Kouchoo we have acted for various Incorporated Associations constituted under the Associations Incorporation Act 2009 (NSW) in various…
Employment matters in Churches and other religious institutions
At Papallo Kouchoo we have acted for various churches, other religious institutions, as well as for their individual employees or contractors.
Pleading Building and Design Practitioners Act Matters
The Building and Design Practitioners Act 2020 was a revolution in the way defects related claims in relation to home building (and in fact, in…
Summary Dismissal and Judgment
Some clients are eager to end their proceedings as soon as possible. They want to do that by either bringing a ‘summary dismissal’ application in…
Land and Environment Court Matters
Many a time clients have problems with various environmental aspects of a development which means that, unfortunately, proceedings in the ‘LEC’ (i.e.…
Contract Termination is a very serious matter
Before terminating any kind of contract, the underlying requirements have to be present, otherwise the other side can claim ‘repudiation’ on your…
Transfer of Building & Strata Claims between NCAT and Courts
Clients will need to be extremely careful as to where a building and construction claim is commenced. NCAT (or the Tribunal) has primary jurisdiction…
Malicious Prosecution
Some litigants at times commence proceedings in response to a ‘prosecution’ which they believe, should have never been brought against them, after…
Upholding your rights in courts and tribunals
Our lawyers will not hesitate to uphold your rights with fear or favour. We’ve done this continually for 60 years – the length of time that our firm…
Checklist: Could This Be a Major Defect?
A simple guide for homeowners and strata committees. Use this checklist to help work out whether a building problem may qualify as a major defect.
Understanding What Is a “Major Defect” Under the Home Building Act
When someone makes a building defect claim after the two-year warranty period for non-major (minor) defects has already passed, one of the first and…
Be on time: Expert Evidence and the Danger of Personal Costs Orders
Delay in serving and filing evidence can be a dangerous thing sometimes. The case of The Owners - Strata Plan No. 94784 v Mirvac Projects Pty Ltd (No…
Stay Fully Covered: How HBCF Works and What Homeowners Must Do to Comply
The Home Building Compensation Fund (HBCF) protects NSW homeowners if their builder cannot finish the work or fix defects because they have become…
A Practical Guide to Design Practitioner Registration in NSW
The NSW Design and Building Practitioners (DBP) scheme sets out who must be registered when preparing designs for certain types of buildings and what…
What Is Commercial Dispute Resolution?
What is commercial dispute resolution? Learn how NSW businesses resolve contract, shareholder and property disputes efficiently and strategically.





































