Qantas Airways Ltd v Rohrlach [2021] NSWCA 48

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Qantas Airways Ltd v Rohrlach [2021] NSWCA 48 Hearing dates: 25 March 2021 Date of orders: 26 March 2021 Decision date: 26 March 2021 Before: Bathurst CJ at [1]; Bell P at [2]; Brereton JA at [84] Decision: 1. Grant leave to appeal. 2. Appeal dismissed with costs. Catchwords: CONTRACT – contractual construction – proper scope of jurisdiction agreement in employment contract – where jurisdiction clause elliptical as to its scope – where multiple agreements – where jurisdiction clause only contained in one agreement – whether jurisdiction clause in one agreement applied to claim in respect of alleged breach of post-employment restraints contained in a related agreement. EMPLOYMENT – restraints of trade – where senior executive employed pursuant to an Employment Agreement containing post-employment restraints of trade and an exclusive jurisdiction clause for courts of Singapore and a Singapore choice of law clause – where executive posted to Japan pursuant to a further contract but with his original contract continuing in effect – where executive also subject to a deed poll containing further post-employment restraints and governed by Japanese law – where employer sued to enforce only restraints contained in deed poll – whether proceedings caught by exclusive jurisdiction clause contained in original Employment Agreement – whether proceedings in New South Wales should be stayed. EQUITY – Injunctions – anti-anti-suit injunction – anti-suit injunction. PRIVATE INTERNATIONAL LAW – anti-anti-suit injunction – exclusive jurisdiction agreement – proper construction of scope of jurisdiction agreement – principles applicable to construction of jurisdiction agreements – relationship between jurisdiction agreement and choice of law clauses PRIVATE INTERNATIONAL LAW – concurrent proceedings in Singapore and New South Wales – whether New South Wales proceedings in relation to post employment restraints in a Deed Poll should be stayed by reason of an exclusive jurisdiction clause in a separate Employment Agreement. Legislation Cited: Restraints of Trade Act 1976 (NSW) s 4(3) Cases Cited: Airbus SAS v Generali Italia SpA [2019] EWCA Civ 805; [2019] 2 Lloyd's Rep 59 Allstate Life Insurance Co v Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (No 2) (1996) 64 FCR 44 Allstate Life Insurance Co v Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (No 1) (1996) 64 FCR 1 BNP Paribas SA v Trattamento Rifiuti Metropolitani SpA [2019] EWCA Civ 768; [2020] 1 All ER 762 Centrebet Pty Ltd v Baasland [2013] NTSC 59 Commissioner of Taxation v Sara Lee Household & Body Care (Australia) Pty Ltd (2000) 201 CLR 520; [2000] HCA 35 Commonwealth v Sterling Nicholas Duty Free Pty Ltd (1972) 126 CLR 297; [1972] HCA 19 Concut Pty Ltd v Worrell (2000) 176 ALR 693; [2000] HCA 64 CSR Ltd v Cigna Insurance Australia Ltd (1997) 189 CLR 345; [1997] HCA 33 FAI General Insurance Co Ltd v Ocean Marine Mutual Protection and Indemnity Association (1997) 41 NSWLR 559 Francis Travel Marketing Pty Ltd v Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd (1996) 39 NSWLR 160 Inghams Enterprises Pty Limited v Hannigan (2020) 379 ALR 196; [2020] NSWCA 82 Keynes Capital Global Limited v Guo [2020] NSWCA 178 Lepcanfin Pty Ltd v Lepfin Pty Ltd (2020) 102 NSWLR 627; [2020] NSWCA 155 Messier-Dowty Ltd v Sabena SA [2000] 1 WLR 2040 Monde Petroleum v Westernzagros Ltd [2015] EWHC 67 (Comm); [2015] 1 Lloyd's Rep 330 Re Treadtel Pty Ltd [2014] NSWSC 1406 Resort Hotels Management Pty Ltd v Resort Hotels of Australia Pty Ltd (1991) 22 NSWLR 730 Satyam Computer Services Ltd v Upaid Systems Ltd [2008] EWCA Civ 487; [2008] 2 All ER (Comm) 465, CA Sebastian Holdings Inc v Deutsche Bank AG [2010] EWCA Civ 998; [2011] 1 Lloyd's Rep 106 TS Production LLC v Drew Pictures Pty Ltd (2008) 172 FCR 433; [2008] FCAFC 194 UBS AG v HSH NordBank AG [2009] EWCA Civ 585; [2009] 2 Lloyd's Rep 272 Texts Cited: AS Bell, "The Negative Declaration in Transnational Litigation" (1995) 111 LQR 674 A Briggs, Agreements on Jurisdiction and Choice of Law (2008, Oxford University Press) M Davies, AS Bell, PLG Brereton and M Douglas, Nygh's Conflict of Laws in Australia (10th ed, 2019, LexisNexis Butterworths) JD Heydon, MJ Leeming and PG Turner, Meagher, Gummow & Lehane's Equity: Doctrines and Remedies (5th ed, 2015, LexisNexis Butterworths) P Nygh, Autonomy in International Contracts (1999, Clarendon Press) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Qantas Airways Ltd (Applicant) Nick Rohrlach (First Respondent) Virgin Australia Airlines Pty Ltd (Second Respondent) Representation: Counsel: