Former Sydney Olympic FC president Damon Hanlin is facing a new legal battle over the $70 million sale of his crane business, with the buyer alleging it was misled by fabricated financial projections, undisclosed tax liabilities and a forged distribution agreement.
The lawsuit, filed by LVL80 Cranes in the NSW Supreme Court, concerns the sale of assets belonging to Titan Cranes in May 2025. Hanlin, Titan and advisory firm Pitcher Partners have denied the allegations.
The case adds to Hanlin’s existing legal troubles, including separate proceedings alleging a long-running scheme to defraud the Australian Taxation Office of almost $100 million. Those allegations have not been established in court.
Buyer alleges misleading financial information
LVL80 Cranes, headed by construction lawyer Kelvin Liew, alleges Titan’s revenue forecasts included fictitious accruals and that the business’s financial position was misrepresented during the sale process.
The buyer also claims the valuation failed to account adequately for unpaid tax liabilities, creating a misleading picture of Titan’s solvency and its capacity to meet ongoing obligations.
According to LVL80’s court filings, Titan paid approximately $11 million in outstanding taxes and interest only after the transaction had been completed.
The buyer is also pursuing negligence claims against Pitcher Partners, alleging the advisory firm failed to identify material misrepresentations during its due diligence work.
Pitcher Partners has disputed the allegations. The firm said its draft reports identified unpaid tax and superannuation liabilities, but maintained that its work was not a payroll audit and did not cover matters normally included in a taxation due diligence review.
Alleged forged crane distribution agreement
One of the most serious allegations concerns a document said to have been supplied by Titan from crane manufacturer JASO.
LVL80 alleges the document promised exclusive distribution rights for JASO crane parts but was a forgery. The buyer claims JASO’s chief executive told Liew in March that he knew nothing about the agreement and that, as chief executive at the time, he would have needed to sign such an arrangement personally.
Hanlin and Titan deny the allegations, including claims that the document was forged or purported to have been issued under JASO’s authority.
LVL80 further alleges Hanlin used threats and financial pressure to push the buyer into agreements with companies he controlled.
In his court defence, Hanlin denied making threats. He said delays in transferring contracts resulted from the number of customer agreements that needed to be negotiated and documented.
He has also claimed LVL80 breached its contractual obligations and said he had been reluctant to sell Titan for less than $100 million.
Police called after alleged confrontation
The lawsuit follows an alleged confrontation between Hanlin and Liew at LVL80’s Sydney offices earlier this year.
According to sources cited by the Australian Financial Review, Hanlin arrived at the business and interrupted a senior leadership meeting. The sources alleged that he made threatening remarks to Liew and refused to leave for about 10 minutes before police were called.
NSW Police confirmed officers attended the business in May after receiving a report that a 37-year-old man had allegedly been intimidated by a 50-year-old man. Police said no further action was required.
Liew declined to comment. Hanlin’s lawyer said the events did not occur as described.
Sydney Olympic FC and Central Coast Mariners
The legal action comes after Hanlin stepped down as president of Sydney Olympic FC late last year.
The Greek Australian football club has faced internal tensions, including disputes involving supporters and club leadership. Hanlin subsequently failed in a bid to take over the Central Coast Mariners in January.
Australian Professional Leagues chair Stephen Conroy previously said the league had sought information from Hanlin about legal proceedings as part of its vetting process. The APL said information had not been provided by the end of last year despite outstanding requests.
Separate alleged tax fraud proceedings
Hanlin is also defending a separate case brought by liquidator Darren Vardy over an alleged labour-hire scheme said to have diverted money intended for PAYG tax over approximately 14 years.
The proceedings allege Titan, Hanlin and former insolvency practitioner Sam Henderson were involved in a scheme that cost the tax office almost $100 million.
The allegations include claims that labour-hire and payroll companies used nominal directors to facilitate the arrangement. Henderson was found dead in a North Sydney hotel room in 2023.
Hanlin’s lawyers are due in court in the separate matter to seek the striking out of parts of the claim on the grounds that they lack sufficient particulars.
The LVL80 case is next scheduled for a hearing in December.
All allegations remain allegations unless and until established in court. Hanlin, Titan Cranes and Pitcher Partners deny the claims made against them.
Source: Australian Financial Review, David Marin-Guzman, October 11, 2026.
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