Moore v Gillis and Ors [2022] NSWSC 14

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Moore v Gillis and Ors [2022] NSWSC 14 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 defendant as against the plaintiff. (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: Australian Consumer Law (NSW), ss 4(1), 18, 236 Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), ss 5C, 5D, 5R Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), s 100 Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth), Schedule 2 Fair Trading Act 1987 (NSW), ss 27, 28, 32 Federal Court Rules 2011 (Cth) rr 25.01, 25.14 Limitation Act 1969 (NSW) s 14 Cases Cited: Attwells v Jackson Lalic Lawyers Pty Ltd (2016) 259 CLR 1; [2016] HCA 16 Boland v Yates Property Corporation Pty Ltd (1999) 74 ALJR 209; [1999] HCA 64 Giannarelli v Wraith (1988) 165 CLR 543; [1988] HCA 52 Henville v Walker (2001) 206 CLR 459; [2001] HCA 52 Heydon v NRMA Limited (2000) 51 NSWLR 1; [2000] NSWCA 374 Kendirjian v Lepore & Anor (2017) 259 CLR 275; [2017] HCA 13 Kowalczuk v Accom Finance Pty Ltd (2008) 77 NSWLR 205; [2008] NSWCA 343 Lavars v Gillis and Ors [2022] NSWSC 13 Maitland Hospital v Fisher (No 2) (1992) 27 NSWLR 721 Malec v JC Hutton Pty Ltd (1990) 169 CLR 638; [1990] HCA 20 Murphy & Ors v Westpac Banking Corporation [2014] FCA 1104 Murphy v Westpac Banking Corporation (No 2) [2015] FCA 266 Sellars v Adelaide Petroleum NL (1994) 179 CLR 332; [1994] HCA 4 Travel Compensation Fund v Robert Tambree (t/as R Tambree & Assocs) (2005) 224 CLR 627; [2005] HCA 69 Wallace v Kam (2013) 250 CLR 375; [2013] HCA 19 Watson v Foxman (1995) 49 NSWLR 315 Texts Cited: Nil Category: Principal judgment Parties: Stuart Moore (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: V Gray with Mr J Raftery (Plaintiff) L Gyles SC with A Cameron (Defendants)