Articles

I am pleased to announce that I have returned to Lovegrove & Cotton Construction & Planning Lawyers as a construction lawyer.

Lovegrove & Cotton is a Melbourne-based construction and planning law firm that has been advising the building industry since 1993. The firm acts primarily for builders, building practitioners and property owners in building disputes, regulatory matters and compliance issues arising under building and planning legislation.

Over the course of nearly four decades the practice has developed a strong reputation for builder and building practitioner advocacy, building regulatory advice and construction dispute resolution, particularly in matters before the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) and the courts.

My work focuses on construction law and building regulatory matters including:

• Building defect disputes
• Preparation of pleadings and legal submissions
• Owners corporation (formerly body corporate) building litigation
• Mediations and dispute resolution
• Proceedings before VCAT, the courts and the Building Appeals Board
• Building regulatory compliance matters affecting builders and building practitioners

I also work closely with engineers, building surveyors and other technical experts in the deployment of expert evidence in building disputes.

Earlier in my career, I practised as a construction lawyer at Lovegrove & Cotton and another boutique construction law firm working on owners corporation disputes, building defect claims and construction litigation matters. My work included preparing legal advice, assisting with mediation and trial preparation, liaising with technical experts and supporting the resolution of disputes before VCAT and the courts.

I have also worked in contract administration advisory roles, which has provided valuable insight into the practical and commercial realities of construction projects.

Another aspect of my professional background is editorial and legal writing working as a copy editor for a major offshore newspaper. More recently, I assisted with the sub-editing of Professor Kim Lovegroves’ forthcoming book on proportionate liability.

One of the aspects that particularly attracted me back to Lovegrove & Cotton is the firm’s distinctive and leading position within the construction law sector.

The firm combines day-to-day legal practice in building disputes and regulatory matters with deep involvement in building law reform in Australia and internationally. This intersection between regulatory architecture and legal practice provides a valuable perspective when advising builders and building practitioners dealing with complex regulatory and dispute issues.

I look forward to working with builders, building practitioners, aggrieved property owners and other participants in the construction industry who require assistance with building disputes, regulatory matters and construction law issues.

Builders, building practitioners and owners corporations managers frequently encounter complex regulatory and dispute issues during the life of a project. If you require assistance with building disputes, regulatory compliance matters, owners corporations intricacies, practitioner investigations or VCAT and the courts proceedings, please feel free to reach out.

Alternatively, if you are an aggrieved property owner whose construction of their dream home has hit problems, you have concerns with how the work is going, worries about the builder or there are now defects after you have moved into your home, also please feel free to contact me.