Gadens to pay A$5m over negligent tax advice

Australian law firm Gadens Lawyers has been ordered to pay A$4.97 m in damages, with legal costs and interest, to a well-known client.

Aussie Home Loans receives compensation for poor tax advice patpitchaya

The advice was given to John Symond, head of Aussie Home Loans, although the lawyer giving the advice left the firm in 2004. One of the surprising background aspects is that the firm maintains a relationship with Aussie Home Loans, and continues to act for it. The legal costs that Gadens will pay are those of Baker & McKenzie which represented Mr Symond in the four years that the case took to reach a ruling. Gadens got specialist litigation advice from DLA Piper dispute resolution partner Robert Crittenden. The final damages amount was, according, to Baker & McKenzie at the top end of the range which the judge could have ordered, according to Lawyers Weekly.

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