Wingecarribee Shire Council v Lehman Brothers Australia Limited (in liq) (No 5) [2011] FCA 245

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Wingecarribee Shire Council v Lehman Brothers Australia Limited (in liq) (No 5) [2011] FCA 245 Citation: Wingecarribee Shire Council v Lehman Brothers Australia Limited (in liq) (No 5) [2011] FCA 245

Parties: WINGECARRIBEE SHIRE COUNCIL, CITY OF SWAN and PARKES SHIRE COUNCIL v LEHMAN BROTHERS AUSTRALIA LIMITED (IN LIQUIDATION) (ACN 066 797 760)

File number: NSD 2492 of 2007

Judge: YATES J

Date of judgment: 18 March 2011

Catchwords: PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – claim for legal professional privilege – dominant purpose test – documents brought into existence for multiple purposes within a corporate group – whether separate purposes among members of the group – whether one purpose foreign to company claiming the privilege – whether dominant purpose test satisfied in the circumstances

Cases cited: Apple Computer Australia Pty Ltd v Wily [2002] NSWSC 855 AWB Ltd v Cole (2006) 152 FCR 382 AWB Ltd v Cole (No 5) (2006) 155 FCR 30 Barnes v Commissioner of Taxation (Cth) (2007) 242 ALR 601 Commissioner of Australian Federal Police v Propend Finance Pty Ltd (1997) 188 CLR 501 Commissioner of Taxation of the Commonwealth of Australia v Spotless Services Limited (1996) 186 CLR 404 Dye v Commonwealth Securities Ltd (No 5) [2010] FCA 950 Esso Australia Resources Limited v Commissioner of Taxation of the Commonwealth of Australia (1999) 201 CLR 49 Federal Commissioner of Taxation v Pratt Holdings Pty Ltd (2005) 60 ATR 466 GEC Marconi Systems Pty Ltd v BHP Information Technology Pty Ltd [2000] FCA 593 Grant v Downs (1976) 135 CLR 674 Kennedy v Wallace (2004) 142 FCR 185 National Crime Authority v S (1991) 29 FCR 203 Seven Network Limited v News Limited [2005] FCA 1342