Hugo is an experienced commercial litigator. He has a broad practice, which includes areas such as contract law, property, consumer law, banking and finance, trusts and breach of fiduciary duties, corporations (including breach of director's duties), bankruptcy and insolvency, tort (including deceit and professional negligence).
Examples of his work include:
- Olivia Yeung v Zank Capital & Ors (No 2) [2026] VSC 217.
- Olivia Yeung v Zank Capital Ltd & Ors [2026] VSC 75.
- Li & Ors v Bai & Ors [2025] VCC 1665.
- Waterproofing Technologies Pty Ltd v Perri [2022] FCA 714.
- Yiqing Xu v Aussie Investment Group Pty Ltd & Ors [2022] VCC 104.
- Shan v Zhang & Ors [2021] VSC 452.
- Ex parte Shan v Zhang (Unreported, Supreme Court of Victoria, Delany J, 15 April 2021).
- Six Bruce Pty Ltd v Milatos & Ors [2017] VSC 784.
- Batrouney v Forster [2016] VSCA 80 (27 April 2016).
- He appeared on behalf of the plaintiff in a supreme court trial against a national law firm in a case based on breach of contract, breach of a duty of care and breach of fiduciary duties.
- He appeared as junior counsel to Michael Osborne QC (as His Honour then was) in the Victorian Court of Appeal in the matter of Knorr v CSIRO & Ors [2014] VSCA 84.
- He acted on behalf of the Department of Environment and Primary Industries in the Kilmore East bushfire class action.
- He appeared as junior counsel to Peter Cawthorn QC in a matter that restrained a major Australian bank from exercising its rights under a number of securities held over commercial properties.
- He acted on behalf of one of the directors of Opes Prime Stockbroking Limited following the company's collapse, in R v Emini & Blumberg [2011] VSC 336 (27 July 2011), as junior counsel to Jane Dixon QC (as Her Honour then was).
Hugo regularly presents professional development seminars. Recent examples include:
- Mistakes in Contracts (March 2026).
- Implied duty to co-operate (March 2025).
- Unfair Contract Terms under the Australian Consumer Law (March 2023).
- Contract Formation and Interpretation (December 2021).
- Avoiding Guarantees (November 2018).
- Unlawful Fetters in Government Contracts (November 2016).
- Admissibility of expert evidence: Has the basis rule survived s 79 of the Evidence Act? (December 2014).
His paper on unfair contract terms is published by LAWCPD and his paper on s 79 of the Evidence Act 2008 was published in the Australian Construction Law Newsletter, issue #159 (November/December 2014).
