Firmtech Aluminium Pty Ltd v Xie (No 2) [2022] NSWSC 1142

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Firmtech Aluminium Pty Ltd v Xie (No 2) [2022] NSWSC 1142 Hearing dates: 15, 17 August 2022 Decision date: 29 August 2022 Jurisdiction: Equity - Duty List Before: Robb J Decision: See [104]-[116] below. Catchwords: CIVIL PROCEDURE — interim preservation — freezing orders — contested hearing to determine continuation of freezing orders — parties make open offers as to relief during interlocutory hearing — nature of relief sought shifts — no issue that plaintiffs have good arguable case — whether risk that defendants will dissipate assets to frustrate final judgment — no such risk — Court makes interlocutory orders preserving businesses operated by certain corporate defendants and orders for accounting Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), s 56 Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), ss 236, 237, 241 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), rr 25.11, 25.12 Cases Cited: Australian Broadcasting Corporation v Lenah Game Meats Pty Ltd (2001) 208 CLR 199; [2001] HCA 63 Australian Broadcasting Corporation v O'Neill (2006) 227 CLR 57; [2006] HCA 46 Bax Global (Australia) Pty Ltd v Evans (1999) 47 NSWLR 538; [1999] NSWSC 815 Cardile v LED Builders Pty Ltd (1999) 198 CLR 380; [1999] HCA 18 Firmtech Aluminium Pty Ltd v Xie [2022] NSWSC 1031 Graincorp Operations Limited v Duncan Ross Munro [2015] NSWSC 227 H Biotechnology Pty Ltd v Shao; H Biotechnology Pty Ltd v Chen [2020] NSWSC 585 Ip v Chiang [2019] NSWSC 1549 Jackson v Sterling Industries Ltd (1987) 162 CLR 612 Jingalong Pty Ltd v Todd (No 2) [2014] NSWCA 347 Mercedes Benz AG v Leiduck [1996] AC 284 MWP Transport Pty Limited v Michael Thomas Kent [2018] NSWSC 1119 National Australia Bank Limited v Human Group Pty Ltd (No 2) [2020] NSWSC 1900 Ninemia Maritime Corporation v Trave Schiffahrtsgesellschaft mbH & Co KG "The Niedersachsen" [1983] 1 WLR 1412; [1984] 1 All ER 398 Patterson v BTR Engineering (Aust) Ltd (1989) 18 NSWLR 319 PT Bayan Resources TBK v BCBC Singapore Pte Ltd (2015) 258 CLR 1; [2015] HCA 36 Samimi v Seyedabadi; Seyedabadi v Samimi [2013] NSWCA 279 Samsung Electronics Co Ltd v Apple Inc (2011) 217 FCR 238; [2011] FCAFC 156 YAJ1 v Opera Australia [2021] NSWSC 771 Texts Cited: Practice Note SC Gen 14 Category: Procedural rulings Parties: Firmtech Aluminium Pty Ltd (First Plaintiff) Zhaohui Xu (Second Plaintiff) Xiaoyan Xie (First Defendant) Jiamin Zhang (Second Defendant) Firmtech Aluminum Pty Ltd (Third Defendant) Logikal Façade Solutions Pty Ltd (Fourth Defendant) JKZ (Australia) Pty Ltd (Fifth Defendant) Firmtech Group Pty Ltd (Sixth Defendant) LGK Holdings Pty Ltd (Seventh Defendant) Western Spring Projects Pty Ltd (Eighth Defendant) Z & X Investment Holding Pty Ltd (Nineth Defendant) Haj (Australia) Pty Ltd (Tenth Defendant) JHN Projects Pty Ltd (Eleventh Defendant) Representation: Counsel: A Ogborne & P Lin (Plaintiffs) D Stack (Defendants)