Lepcanfin Pty Ltd v Lepfin Pty Ltd [2020] NSWCA 155

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Lepcanfin Pty Ltd v Lepfin Pty Ltd [2020] NSWCA 155 Hearing dates: 14 May 2020 Date of orders: 23 July 2020 Decision date: 23 July 2020 Before: Bell P at [1]; Payne JA at [116]; McCallum JA at [117] Decision: 1. Grant leave to appeal but dismiss the appeal with costs on the Mandate Issue, as identified in the reasons for judgment. 2. Refuse leave to appeal with costs in respect of the Guarantee Issue, as identified in the reasons for judgment. Catchwords: CONTRACT – dispute resolution clauses – expert determination clause – separate Expert Determination Agreement entered into – whether expert exceeded her mandate in determining that clause in a Development Deed was a penalty – construction of ambit of separate Expert Determination Agreement – when one party to dispute initially accepted that penalty issue fell within scope of Expert Determination Agreement and then resiled from that fact – whether party estopped from resiling from initial position – whether other issues sought to be raised in Commercial List proceedings but which had not been the subject of expert determination could be litigated – whether primary judge erred in staying litigation of those issues. Legislation Cited: Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW) s 101(2)(e) Cases Cited: Australian Broadcasting Commission v Australasian Performing Right Association Ltd (1973) 129 CLR 99; [1973] HCA 36 Australian Health & Nutrition Association Ltd v Hive Marketing Group Pty Ltd (2019) 99 NSWLR 419; [2019] NSWCA 61 Comandate Marine Corporation v Pan Australia Shipping Pty Ltd (2006) 157 FCR 45; [2006] FCAFC 192 Dance With Mr D Ltd v Dirty Dancing Investments Pty Ltd [2009] NSWSC 332 Electricity Generation Corporation v Woodside Energy Ltd; Woodside Energy Ltd v Electricity Generation Corporation (2014) 251 CLR 640; [2014] HCA 7 FAI General Insurance Co Ltd v Ocean Marine Mutual Protection & Indemnity Association (1997) 41 NSWLR 117 Fiona Trust & Holding Corporation v Privalov [2007] UKHL 40; [2007] 4 All ER 951 Francis Travel Marketing Pty Ltd v Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd (1996) 39 NSWLR 160; (1996) 131 FLR 422 General Steel Industries Inc v Commissioner for Railways (NSW) (1964) 112 CLR 125; [1964] HCA 69 Global Partners Fund Limited v Babcock & Brown Limited (in liq) (2010) 79 ACSR 383; [2010] NSWCA 196 Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd v Rinehart (2017) 257 FCR 442; [2017] FCAFC 170 Harrington v Browne (1917) 23 CLR 297; [1917] HCA 36 Inghams Enterprises Pty Limited v Hannigan [2020] NSWCA 82 Insigma Technology Co Ltd v Alstom Technology Ltd [2009] 3 SLR 936 Integrated Computer Services Pty Ltd v Digital Equipment Corp (Aust) Pty Ltd (1988) 5 BPR 11,110 Mastrobuono v Shearson Lehman Hutton Inc. 514 US 52 (1995) Mitsubishi Motors Corp v Soler-Chrysler Plymouth Inc 473 US 614 (1985) Mount Bruce Mining Pty Ltd v Wright Prospecting Pty Ltd (2015) 256 CLR 104; [2015] HCA 37 Paper Products Pty Ltd v Tomlinsons (Rochdale) Limited (1993) 43 FCR 439; [1993] FCA 346 PPK Willoughby Pty Ltd v Baird [2019] NSWCA 48 Rinehart v Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd (2019) 366 ALR 635; [2019] HCA 13 Rinehart v Welker (2012) 95 NSWLR 221; [2012] NSWCA 95 TCL Air Conditioner (Zhongshan) Co Ltd v Judges of the Federal Court of Australia (2013) 251 CLR 533; [2013] HCA 5 The Illawarra Community Housing Trust Ltd v MP Park Lane Pty Ltd [2020] NSWSC 751 The Life Insurance Co of Australia Ltd v Phillips (1925) 36 CLR 60; [1925] HCA 18 Toll (FGCT) Pty Ltd v Alphapharm Pty Ltd (2004) 219 CLR 165; [2004] HCA 52 Wilkie v Gordian Runoff Ltd (2005) 221 CLR 522; [2005] HCA 17 Zhu v Treasurer of the State of New South Wales (2004) 218 CLR 530; [2004] HCA 56 Texts Cited: A Briggs, Agreements on Jurisdiction and Choice of Law (2007, Oxford University Press) G B Born, International Commercial Arbitration (2nd ed, 2014, Wolters Kluwer) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Lepcanfin Pty Ltd (Applicant) Lepfin Pty Ltd (First Respondent) Lepcon Pty Ltd (Second Respondent) Antegra Pty Ltd (Third Respondent) Domenico Capitani (Fourth Respondent) Josephine Grace Carmel Capitani (Fifth Respondent) Antegra Management Leppington Pty Ltd (Sixth Respondent) Lepdev Pty Ltd (Seventh Respondent) Berlyn Holdings Pty Ltd (Eighth Respondent) Representation: Counsel: