Lavars v Gillis and Ors [2022] NSWSC 13

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Lavars v Gillis and Ors [2022] NSWSC 13 Hearing dates: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22 August 2019; 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 November 2019; 23 May 2020 (further written submissions) Date of orders: 25 March 2022 Decision date: 25 March 2022 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Campbell J Decision: (1) Judgment for each of the defendants against the plaintiff; and (2) The plaintiff to pay the defendants' costs; (3) Liberty to apply on short notice. Catchwords: TORTS – professional negligence – legal advice relating to accepting or rejecting offers to compromise proceedings for recovery of employee entitlements and damages – advice to bring proceedings involving fraud and related issues – plaintiffs ultimately successful at trial on limited issues – judgment entered less than offers made – adverse costs orders where fraud claims unfounded – whether advice accorded with standard of reasonable care – quantum of loss – loss of opportunity Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) ss 5B, 5D, 5E Federal Court Rules 2011 (Cth) rr 1.35, 25.01, 25.05, 25.14 Federal Court Rules (Cth) Ord 23 Legal Profession Uniform Law Australian Solicitors' Conduct Rules 2015 (NSW), r 7.1 Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth), ss 52, 82 Cases Cited: Astley v Austrust Limited (1999) 197 CLR 1; [1999] HCA 6 Attwells v Jackson Lalic Lawyers Pty Ltd (2016) 259 CLR 1; [2016] HCA 16 Beach Petroleum NL v Kennedy (1999) 48 NSWLR 1; [1999] NSWCA 408 Berry v British Transport Commission [1962] 1 QB 306 Breen v Williams (1996) 186 CLR 71; [1996] HCA 57 Calderbank v Calderbank [1975] 3 All ER 333 Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Ltd v Bridge [2018] NSWCA 183 Donnellan v Woodland [2012] NSWCA 433 Farrington v Rowe McBride & Partners [1985] 1 NZLR 83 Giannarelli v Wraith (1988) 165 CLR 543; [1988] HCA 52 Harvey v Phillips (1956) 95 CLR 235; [1956] HCA 27 Kendirjian v Lepore (2016) 259 CLR 275; [2017] HCA 13 Maitland Hospital v Fisher (No 2) (1992) 27 NSWLR 721 Mal Owen Consulting Pty Ltd v Ashcroft (2018) 97 NSWLR 1163; [2018] NSWCA 135 Merost Pty Ltd v CPT Custodian Pty Ltd (No 2) [2014] FCA 594 Murphy v Westpac Banking Corporation [2014] FCA 1104 Murphy v Westpac Banking Corporation (No 2) [2015] FCA 266 Prince Jefri Bolkiah v KPMG (a firm) [1999] 2 WLR 215 Roads and Traffic Authority (NSW) v Dederer (2007) 234 CLR 330; [2007] HCA 42 Sellars v Adelaide Petroleum NL (1994) 179 CLR 332; [1994] HCA 4 Studer v Boettcher [2000] NSWCA 263 Talacko v Talacko [2021] HCA 15 Vairy v Wyong Shire Council (2005) 223 CLR 422; [2005] HCA 62 Voli v Inglewood Shire Council (1963) 110 CLR 74; [1963] HCA 15 Westpac Banking Corporation v Wittenberg (2016) 242 FCR 505; [2016] FCAFC 33 Texts Cited: Nil Category: Principal judgment Parties: Danielle Lavars (Plaintiff) Michael Joseph Gillis (First Defendant) Gana Holdings Pty Ltd (Second Defendant) Gana Holdings Pty Ltd as trustee for Gana Holdings Trust trading as Gillis Delaney Lawyers (Third Defendant) Representation: Counsel: T Faulkner SC with N Roucek (Plaintiff Lavars) L Gyles SC with A Cameron (Defendants)