TV Personality Sues Network 10 for Legal Costs in Lehrmann Defamation Case

Lisa Wilkinson expected her employer to cover her legal bill for over $700,000, but claims Network 10 backed out.

Lisa Wilkinson attends opening night of "Tina—The Tina Turner Musical" at Theatre Royal Sydney in Sydney, Australia on May 18, 2023. Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Journalist Lisa Wilkinson is suing Network 10, an Australian commercial television network, alleging that the network pulled out of an agreement to cover her legal costs in the Bruce Lehrmann defamation case.

Ms. Wilkinson, a high-profile television presenter, claimed the broadcaster owed her more than $700,000 (US$442,000) in legal expenses after she decided to hire different legal representation.

The broadcaster’s retained law firm is Thomson Geer, while the former host of The Project opted to hire prominent barrister Sue Chrysanthou S.C. and Gillis Delaney Lawyers, according to The Daily Telegraph.

In a lawsuit filed on Oct. 19, Ms. Wilkinson claimed that the network accepted in March and June of this year that it was liable to compensate the TV presenter even if she opted for a separate law firm.

In May, Ms. Wilkinson sent her employer a bill for $375,728.63 for legal services. However, after the initial review, the network refused to pay, with its lawyers claiming that “substantial unnecessary work had been undertaken,” according to court documents.

Ms. Wilkinson’s lawyers argued that the “unnecessary work” was not identified and asked which part of the invoice was unreasonable.

On Sept. 25, the journalist sent the network a new invoice for $353,538.88 and another invoice for $370,017 less than a week later. However, she said the broadcaster had not paid her.

‘A Very Substantial Amount Of Money’: Network 10’s Lawyers

A spokesperson from Network 10 said the legal fees demanded by Ms. Wilkinson were significant.

“The lawyers engaged by Lisa Wilkinson have issued invoices for a very substantial amount of money, in excess of $700,000, and in good governance these need to be justified through due process,” she said, according to a report by Nine News.

“In the meantime, Network Ten’s focus is on defending the defamation claim brought by Bruce Lehrmann.”

Brittany Higgins (with David Sharaz) arrives to give evidence in front of an ACT Supreme Court jury on the third day of the trial of her alleged rapist, Bruce Lehrmann in Canberra, Australia on Oct. 6, 2022. Martin Ollman/Getty Images

The proceedings allege that Network 10 offered to cover Wilkinson’s legal bill in a lump sum at the end of the trial brought by Mr. Lehrmann. However, Ms. Wilkinson’s lawyer argued it was not reasonable because it meant the TV presenter would be left “with the burden of having to find the ways and means to fund her defence,” according to court documents.

Currently, Ms. Wilkinson is still an employee of Network 10.

According to court documents, the journalist is willing to have a mediation session with the network.

Ms. Wilkinson’s lawsuit against Network 10 will commence on Nov. 3 at the New South Wales Supreme Court, two weeks before Mr. Lehrmann’s defamation battle begins in Sydney’s Federal Court.

Brittany Higgins’s Rape Allegation

Mr. Lehrmann was accused of sexually assaulting former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins in the Parliament House in 2019 at the office of then-defence industry minister Linda Reynolds.

Ms. Wilkinson, who was then the host of The Project, exposed the story and was also a witness at the trial.

Mr. Lehrmann has always denied the allegations. He filed defamation proceedings against Network 10, Lisa Wilkinson, and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation this year, arguing their media reports had destroyed his reputation.

In October 2022, Mr. Lehrmann’s criminal trial in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Supreme Court was aborted after a juror was found to have done their own research about the case and brought an academic paper about the frequency of false sexual allegations into the deliberation room. ACT Justice Lucy McCallum discharged the jury, explaining that the juror should not have accessed material from outside the court.

Previously, in June 2022, Ms. Wilkinson was given a warning after she praised Ms. Higgins during her speech at the Logies Award.

This forced Justice McCallum to postpone the trial set to take place on June 27, saying her speech has obliterated “the important distinction between an allegation that remains untested at law” and a finding of guilt.

The rape case was eventually dropped in December 2022 after the prosecutor expressed concerns about Ms. Higgins’s mental health.