Gokani v Visvalingam Pty Ltd [2023] NSWCA 80

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Gokani v Visvalingam Pty Ltd [2023] NSWCA 80 Hearing dates: 3 April 2023 Date of orders: 26 April 2023 Decision date: 26 April 2023 Before: Leeming JA at [1]; Basten AJA at [2]; Griffiths AJA at [90] Decision: (1) Allow the appeal and set aside the orders made in the District Court on 26 July 2022. (2) In place of those orders, order that: (a) Visvalingam's amended notice of motion filed on 1 March 2022 be dismissed; (b) Visvalingam pay Mr Gokani's costs of the motion in the District Court. (3) Order that Visvalingam pay Mr Gokani's costs of the appeal. Catchwords: COSTS – personal costs order against solicitor for defendant – filing of defence – statement of claim deficient – no affirmative defence pleaded – whether costs incurred "without reasonable cause" – Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), s 99 COSTS – costs order against solicitor – whether plaintiff's claim was for "damages" – statement of claim sought repayment of debt – Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014 (NSW), Sch 2, cl 5 EVIDENCE – appeal – further evidence – evidence available during trial – waiver of privilege – liquidator appointed to solicitor's client – privilege waived by liquidator – solicitor's file not produced – no reliance on proposed tender in course of submissions Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), Pt 6, ss 60, 99 District Court Act 1973 (NSW), s 127 Legal Profession Act 2004 (NSW), ss 345, 348(1) Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014 (NSW), Sch 2, cl 5 Limitation Act 1969 (NSW), ss 50C, 50D Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), ss 75A, 101(2) Cases Cited: Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336; [1938] HCA 34 Degiorgio v Dunn (No 2) (2005) 62 NSWLR 284; [2005] NSWSC 3 Expense Reduction Analysts Group Pty Ltd v Armstrong Strategic Management and Marketing Pty Ltd (2013) 250 CLR 303; [2013] HCA 46 Keddie v Stacks/Goudkamp Pty Ltd [2012] NSWCA 254 King v Muriniti (2018) 97 NSWLR 991; [2018] NSWCA 98 Medcalf v Mardell [2003] 1 AC 120; [2002] UKHL 27 Murgolo v AAI Ltd t/as AAMI (2019) 101 NSWLR 376; [2019] NSWCA 295 Muriniti v Mercia Financial Solutions Pty Ltd [2021] NSWCA 180 Myers v Elman [1940] AC 282 Ridehalgh v Horsefield [1994] Ch 205 Visvalingam Pty Ltd v Vitarag Pty Ltd [2021] NSWDC 364 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Anand Kantilal Gokani (Appellant) Visvalingam Pty Ltd (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: DA Lloyd SC / Y Truong (Appellant) DS Weinberger (Respondent)