Williamson v Sydney Olympic Park Authority & Ors [2022] NSWSC 1618

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Williamson v Sydney Olympic Park Authority & Ors [2022] NSWSC 1618 Hearing dates: 11 October 2022; 11 November 2022; 15 November 2022 Date of orders: 28 November 2022 Decision date: 28 November 2022 Jurisdiction: Equity - Commercial List Before: Black J Decision: Parties to bring in agreed short minutes of order to give effect to this judgment within 7 days. Catchwords: CIVIL PROCEDURE — Representative proceedings — Settlement or discontinuance — Court approval — Where parties agreed to settle the representative proceedings — Where the litigation funder seeks to recover both a funders commission and "after the event" ("ATE") insurance — Whether the settlement is fair and reasonable as a whole and, in particular, whether the deductions for the funders commission and ATE insurance are fair and reasonable. Legislation Cited: - Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), ss 173, 177, 179, 183 - Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 (NSW) - Home Building Act 1989 (NSW) - Legal Profession Uniform Law, s 181 Cases Cited: - Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Richards [2013] FCAFC 89 - Asirifi-Otchere v Swann Insurance (Aust) Pty Ltd (No 3) (2020) 385 ALR 625; [2020] FCA 1885 - Blairgowrie Trading Ltd v Allco Finance Group Ltd (Recs & Mgrs Apptd) (in liq) (No 3) (2017) 343 ALR 476; [2017] FCA 330 - BMW Australia Limited v Brewster (2019) 269 CLR 574 - Bolitho v Banksia Securities Ltd (recs and mgrs apptd) (in liq) (No 6) (2019) 63 VR 291 - Bolitho v Banksia Securities Ltd (No 18) (remitter) [2021] VSC 666 - Botsman v Bolitho and Others (No 1) (2018) 57 VR 688 - City of Swan v McGraw-Hill Companies Inc (2016) 112 ACSR 65; [2016] FCA 343 - Dorajay Pty Ltd v Aristocrat Leisure Ltd [2009] FCA 19 - Earglow Pty Ltd v Newcrest Mining Limited [2016] FCA 1433 - Endeavour River Pty Ltd v MG Responsible Entity Ltd (No 2) [2020] FCA 968 - Evans v Davantage Group Pty Ltd (No 3) [2021] FCA 70 - Findlay v DSHE Holdings Ltd; Mastoris v DSHE Holdings Ltd; Mastoris v Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd (2021) 150 ACSR 535; [2021] NSWSC 249 - Kuterba v Sirtex Medical Ltd (No 3) [2019] FCA 1374 - Haselhurst v Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Ltd t/as Toyota Australia [2022] NSWSC 1076 - Liverpool City Council v McGraw-Hill Financial Inc [2018] FCA 1289 - Lopez v Star World Enterprises Pty Ltd [1999] FCA 104 - Money Max Int Pty Ltd v QBE Insurance Group Ltd (2016) 245 FCR 191; [2016] FCAFC 148 - Newstart 123 Pty Ltd v Billabong International Ltd (2016) 343 ALR 662; [2016] FCA 1194 - P Dawson Nominees Pty Ltd v Brookfield Multiplex Ltd (No 4) [2010] FCA 1029 - Perera v GetSwift Ltd [2018] FCA 732; (2018) 263 FCR 1 - Pharm-a-Care Laboratories Pty Ltd v Commonwealth of Australia (No 6) [2011] FCA 277 - Smith v Australian Executor Trustees Ltd; Creighton v Australian Executor Trustees Ltd (No 4) [2018] NSWSC 1584 - Wetdal Pty Ltd as Trustee for the BlueCo Two Superannuation Fund v Estia Health Ltd [2021] FCA 475 - Williams v FAI Home Security Pty Ltd (No 4) (2000) 180 ALR 459; [2000] FCA 1925 Texts Cited: V Morabito, "An Evidence-Based Approach to Class Action Reform in Australia: Common Fund Orders, Funding Fees and Reimbursement Payment" (Monash University, January 2019) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Terry Walter Williamson (First Plaintiff) Helen Therese Williamson (Second Plaintiff) Sydney Olympic Park Authority (First Defendant) Icon Co (NSW) Pty Ltd (Second Defendant) WSP Structures Pty Ltd (Third Defendant) Representation: Counsel: M J Darke SC/R A Yezerski (Plaintiffs) R C A Higgins SC (Contradictor) D Sulan SC/K Sharma (Augusta Pool 1 UK Ltd) E Miers (Solicitor) (Icon Co (NSW) Pty Ltd) A J Barnett (WSP Structures Pty Ltd)