Dealer Support Services Pty Ltd v Motor Trades Association of Australia Ltd [2014] FCA 1065

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Dealer Support Services Pty Ltd v Motor Trades Association of Australia Ltd [2014] FCA 1065 Citation: Dealer Support Services Pty Ltd v Motor Trades Association of Australia Ltd [2014] FCA 1065

Parties: DEALER SUPPORT SERVICES PTY LTD (ACN 008 607 403) v MOTOR TRADES ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA LTD (ACN 008 643 561)

File number: VID 269 of 2014

Judge: BEACH J

Date of judgment: 6 October 2014

Catchwords: LEGAL PRACTITIONERS — application to restrain solicitors acting against former client — no claim that former solicitors misusing confidential information — existence and source of duty of loyalty — applicability of Spincode Pty Ltd v Look Software Pty Ltd (2001) 4 VR 501— no basis for duty of loyalty ground — inherent jurisdiction — due administration of justice — control over officers of court — no injunction granted

Legislation: Australian Solicitors' Conduct Rules 2011 r 10 Code of Conduct for Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys 2013 (Cth) Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) Sch 2 Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) s 37M Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth) s 55B Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014 (Vic) s 42 Professional Conduct and Practice Rules 2005 (Vic) rr 4, 8 Professional Conduct and Practice Rules 2013 (NSW) r 10 Trade Marks Act 1995 (Cth) ss 88(2)(e), 215(1)(a)

Cases cited: Adam 12 Holdings Pty Ltd v Eat & Drink Holdings Pty Ltd [2006] VSC 152 Asia Pacific Telecommunications Ltd v Optus Networks Pty Ltd [2005] NSWSC 550 Australian Liquor Marketers Pty Ltd v Tasman Liquor Traders Pty Ltd [2002] VSC 324 Beach Petroleum NL v Abbott Tout Russell Kennedy (1999) 48 NSWLR 1 Beer v Ward (1821) Jac 77; 37 ER 779 Belan v Casey [2002] NSWSC 58 Black v Taylor [1993] 3 NZLR 403 Bricheno v Thorp (1821) Jac 300; 37 ER 864 Bristol and West Building Society v Mothew [1998] Ch 1 British American Tobacco Australia Services Ltd v Blanch [2004] NSWSC 70 Bureau Interprofessionnel Des Vins De Bourgogne v Red Earth Nominees Pty Ltd (t/as Taltarni Vineyards) [2002] FCA 588 Carindale Country Club Estate Pty Ltd v Astill (1993) 42 FCR 307 Cleveland Investments Global Ltd v Evans [2010] NSWSC 567 Colonial Portfolio Services Ltd v Nissen (2000) 35 ACSR 673; [2000] NSWSC 1047; Connell v Pistorino [2009] VSC 289 Dale v Clayton Utz (a firm) (No 2) [2013] VSC 54 Davies v Clough (1837) 8 Sim 262; 59 ER 105 Earl Cholmondeley v Lord Clinton (1815) 19 Ves Jun 261; 34 ER 515 Edmonds v Donovan (2005) 12 VR 513 Everingham v Ontario (1992) 88 DLR (4th) 755 Farrington v Deputy Commissioner of Taxation (2002) 50 ATR 429; [2002] FCA 1013 Farrington v Rowe McBride & Partners [1985] 1 NZLR 83 Farrow Mortgage Services Pty Ltd (in liq) v Mendall Properties Pty Ltd [1995] 1 VR 1 Flanagan v Pioneer Permanent Building Society Ltd [2002] QSC 346 Fonterra Brands (Australia) Pty Ltd v Viropoulos (2013) 304 ALR 332; [2013] FCA 657 Fruehauf Finance Corp v Feez Ruthning [1991] 1 Qd R 558 Geelong School Supplies Pty Ltd v Dean (2006) 237 ALR 612; [2006] FCA 1404 Griffiths v Griffiths (1843) 2 Hare 587; 67 ER 242 Grimwade v Meagher [1995] 1 VR 446 Holdsworth v MR Anderson & Associates Pty Ltd (unreported, Supreme Court of Victoria, JD Phillips J, 26 August 1994) Hutchins v Hutchins (1825) 1 Hog 315 In re John Holmes (a Solicitor); In re The Electric Power Co Ltd (1877) XXV WR 603 Ismail-Zai v State of Western Australia (2007) 34 WAR 379 Johnson v Marriott (1833) 2 C & M 183; 149 ER 725 Kallinicos v Hunt (2005) 64 NSWLR 561 Kooky Garments Ltd v Charlton [1994] 1 NZLR 587 Lipohar v R (1999) 200 CLR 485 Macquarie Bank Ltd v Myer [1994] 1 VR 350 Maguire v Makaronis (1997) 188 CLR 449 McMaster v Byrne [1952] 1 All ER 1362 McVeigh v Linen House Pty Ltd [1999] 3 VR 394 Mintel International Group Ltd v Mintel (Australia) Pty Ltd (2000) 181 ALR 78; [2000] FCA 1410 Parratt v Parratt (1848) 2 De G & Sm 258; 64 ER 116 PhotoCure ASA v Queen's University at Kingston (2002) 56 IPR 86; [2002] FCA 905 Pinnacle Living Pty Ltd v Elusive Image Pty Ltd [2006] VSC 202 Prince Jefri Bolkiah v KPMG (a firm) [1999] 2 AC 222 Rakusen v Ellis, Munday and Clarke [1912] 1 Ch 831 Sent v John Fairfax Publication Pty Ltd [2002] VSC 429 Sharp v Rata International Pty Ltd [2013] VSC 328 Spincode Pty Ltd v Look Software Pty Ltd (2001) 4 VR 501 Village Roadshow Ltd v Blake Dawson Waldron [2003] VSC 505 Waiviata Pty Ltd v New Millenium Publications Pty Ltd [2002] FCA 98 Wan v McDonald (1991) 33 FCR 491 Watson v Ebsworth & Ebsworth (a firm) (2010) 31 VR 123 Westend Entertainment Centre Pty Ltd (formerly Minneken Pty Ltd) v Equity Trustees Ltd (2000) V ConvR 54-619; [1999] VSC 514 Western Australia v Ward (1997) 76 FCR 492 Conaglen M, Fiduciary Loyalty (Hart Publishing, 2010) pp 188, 194-195 Dal Pont GE, "Conflicts of Interest: The Interplay between Fiduciary and Confidentiality Law" (2002) Australian Mining and Petroleum Law Association Yearbook 583 Finn PD, "Conflicts of Interest and Professionals" Legal Research Foundation Inc Seminar on Professional Responsibility (Legal Research Foundation Inc, University of Auckland, 28-29 May 1987) Finn PD, "Fiduciary Law and the Modern Commercial World" in McKendrick E (ed), Commercial Aspects of Trusts and Fiduciary Obligations (Oxford University Press, 1992) Finn PD, "Fiduciary Reflections" (2014) 88 ALJ 127 Finn PD, "Professionals and Confidentiality" (1992) 14 Syd LR 317 Finn PD, "The Fiduciary Principle" in Youdan TG (ed), Equity, Fiduciaries and Trusts (Carswell, 1989) Finn PD, Fiduciary Obligations (Law Book Co Ltd, 1977) Goubran S, "Conflicts of Duty: The Perennial Lawyers' Tale" (2006) 30(1) MULR 88 Glover J, Commercial Equity: Fiduciary Relationships (1995, Butterworths) p 203 Leeming M, "The Scope of Fiduciary Obligations: How contract informs, but does not determine, the scope of fiduciary obligations" (2009) 3 Journal of Equity 1