Dundoen Pty Limited v Richard Wills (Real Estate) Pty Limited [2020] NSWSC 1534

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Dundoen Pty Limited v Richard Wills (Real Estate) Pty Limited [2020] NSWSC 1534 Hearing dates: 17, 18, 19, August 2020 and 22, 30 September 2020, further written submissions received by the second defendant on 30 September 2020 and by the plaintiff on 2 October 2020 Decision date: 05 November 2020 Jurisdiction: Equity - Expedition List Before: Sackar J Decision: See paras [155]-[158] Catchwords: CONTRACTS — Formation — Consideration — Whether written agreement intended to discharge and replace earlier oral contract of employment EMPLOYMENT AND INDUSTRIAL LAW — Contract — Restraint of trade — Whether plaintiff had a legitimate protectable interest in customer connection — Whether non-solicitation, non-competition, no-dealing and non-encouragement restraints no more than reasonable to protect customer connection Legislation Cited: Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) s 136 Restraints of Trade Act 1976 (NSW) s 4(1) Cases Cited: Cactus Imaging Pty Limited v Peters (2006) 71 NSWLR 9; [2006] NSWSC 717 Cellarit Pty Ltd v Cawarrah Holdings Pty Ltd [2018] NSWCA 213 Charltons CJC Pty Ltd v Fitzgerald [2013] NSWSC 350 Compagnie Noga d'Importation et d'Exportation SA v Abacha [2003] 2 All ER (Comm) 915; [2003] EWCA Civ 1100 Concut Pty Ltd v Worrell [2000] HCA 64; 75 ALJR 312; 176 ALR 693 Dundoen Pty Limited v Richard Wills (Real Estate) Pty Limited [2020] NSWSC 15 Electroboard Administration v O'Brien [1999] NSWCA 452 Encyclopaedia Britannica Australia Ltd v David Campbell [2009] NSWCA 286 Fightvision Pty Ltd v Onisforou (1999) 47 NSWLR 473 Figjam Pty Ltd v Pedrini [2005] NSWSC 221 Galaxidis v Galaxidis [2001] NSWSC 1123 Hanna v OAMPS Insurance Brokers Ltd [2010] NSWCA 267 Hillam v Iacullo [2015] NSWCA 196 IRAF Pty Ltd v Graham [1982] 1 NSWLR 419 Isaac v Dargan Financial Pty Ltd (2018) 98 NSWLR 343 Jardin v Metcash Ltd (2011) 285 ALR 677; 214 IR 448; [2011] NSWCA 409 Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298 Koops Martin v Reeves [2006] NSWSC 449 Miles v Genesys Wealth Advisers Limited (2009) 201 IR 1; [2009] NSWCA 25 Musumeci v Winadell Pty Ltd (1994) 34 NSWLR 723 OAMPS Insurance Brokers Ltd v Peter Hanna [2010] NSWSC 781 Portal Software Pty Ltd v Bodsworth [2005] NSWSC 1179 Red Bull Australia Pty Ltd v Stacey [2011] NSWSC 1212 Stacks/Taree Pty Ltd v Marshall (No 2) [2010] NSWSC 77 Thinkstorm Pty Ltd v Farah [2017] NSWSC 11 Toll (FGCT) Pty Ltd v Alphapharm Pty Ltd (2004) 219 CLR 165 Tullet Prebon (Australia) Pty Ltd v Purcell (2008) 175 IR 414; [2008] NSWSC 852 Visscher v Guidice (2009) 239 CLR 361 Wallis Nominees (Computing) Pty Limited v Picket (2013) 45 VR 657; [2013] VSCA 24 Woolworths Ltd v Olson [2004] NSWCA 372 Wright v Gasweld Pty Ltd (1991) 22 NSWLR 317 Texts Cited: Carter and Harland, Contract Law in Australia, Butterworths, 4th ed (2002) J D Heydon, Heydon on Contract, Lawbook Co (2019) J D Heydon, The Restraint of Trade Doctrine, LexisNexis Butterworths, 4th ed (2018) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Dundoen Pty Limited (plaintiff) Richard Wills (Real Estate Pty Limited) (first defendant) Jillian Gai Wills (second defendant) Representation: Counsel: P Moorhouse (plaintiff) R Alkadamani (second defendant)