In the matter of ACN 004 410 833 Ltd (formerly Arrium Limited) (in liq) & Ors [2023] NSWSC 461

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: In the matter of ACN 004 410 833 Ltd (formerly Arrium Limited) (in liq) & Ors [2023] NSWSC 461 Hearing dates: 4-6 April 2023 Date of orders: 03 May 2023 Decision date: 03 May 2023 Jurisdiction: Equity - Corporations List Before: Black J Decision: Parties to bring in agreed minutes of order to give effect to judgment. Catchwords: PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – application for extension of time for service of Originating Process despite non-compliance with Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) r 6.2(4) and r 2.7 of the Supreme Court (Corporations) Rules 1999 (NSW) – where delay in serving Originating Process – where prejudice to several Defendants has occurred as result of delay – whether the proposed Statement of Claim referred to in the Originating Process adequately identifies the case the Defendants must meet – whether issue estoppel prevents that case being brought against financier Defendants. Legislation Cited: - Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), ss 56-59, 63, 67, 182, Pt 10 - Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), ss 439A, 439C, 444H 444B, 447A, 447D, 536, 1337H, 1337L, Pt 5.3A, Pt 5.9 - Federal Court (Corporations) Rules 2000 (Cth), r 1.10 - Insolvency Practice Schedule (Corporations), ss 5-5, 5-30, 90-15, 90-20 - Supreme Court (Corporations) Rules 1999 (NSW), rr 1.10, 2.7 - Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), rr 1.12, 6.2, 12.11, 13.4 Cases Cited: - Agar v Hyde (2000) 201 CLR 552; [2000] HCA 41 - Agricultural & Rural Finance Pty Ltd v Kirk [2011] NSWCA 67 - Allatech Pty Ltd v Construction Management Group Pty Ltd (2002) 41 ACSR 587 - Arnold v National Westminster Bank plc [1991] 2 AC 93; [1991] 3 All ER 41 - Arthur Anderson Corporate Finance Pty Ltd v Buzzle Operations Pty Ltd (in liq) [2009] NSWCA 104 - Batistatos v Roads and Traffic Authority (NSW) (2006) 226 CLR 256; [2006] HCA 27 - Bidald Consulting Pty Ltd v Miles Special Builders (2005) 226 ALR 510 - Blair v Curran (1939) 62 CLR 464 - Brewer v Brewer (1953) 88 CLR 1 - Brisbane South Regional Health Authority v Taylor (2006) 186 CLR 541 - Choy v Tiaro Coal Ltd (in liq) [2018] NSWCA 205 - Commonwealth of Australia v Cockatoo Dockyard Pty Ltd [2006] NSWCA 322 - Commonwealth v Rocklea Spinning Mills (2005) 145 FCR 220 - Ekes v Commonwealth Bank of Australia (2014) 313 ALR 665; [2014] NSWCA 336 - Federal Treasury Enterprise (FKP) Sojuzplodoimport v Spirits International (2021) 389 ALR 612; [2021] FCAFC 77 - Grant v John Grant & Sons Pty Ltd (1954) 91 CLR 112; [1954] HCA 23 - Habrok (Dalgaranga) Pty Ltd v Gascoyne Resources Ltd (subject to Deed of Company arrangement) (2020) 149 ACSR 1; [2020] FCA 1395 - Hastie Group Ltd (in liq) v Moore [2016] NSWSC 1682 - Hoath v Comcen Pty Ltd (2005) 53 ACSR 708 - Honest Remark Pty Ltd v Allstate Explorations NL (2006) 234 ALR 765; (2006) 58 ACSR 234; [2006] NSWSC 735 - Hoysted v Commissioner of Taxation [1926] AC 155 - Hoysted v Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1925) 37 CLR 290 - Iacullo v Iacullo [2013] NSWSC 1517 - Jackson v Goldsmith (1950) 81 CLR 446 - Johnson v Gore Wood & Co (a firm) [2002] 2 AC 1; [2001] 1 All ER 481 - Kogan v Rogulj, in the matter of Rogulj Pty Ltd (in liq) [2021] FCA 1137 - Liquor National Pty Ltd (in liq) v Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited [2020] NSWSC 122 - Mentha v Epic Energy South Australia Pty Ltd, in the matter of ACN 004 410 833 Limited (formerly Arrium Limited) [2017] FCA 1530 - Mentha v Epic Energy South Australia Pty Ltd, in the matter of ACN 004 410 833 Limited (formerly Arrium Limited) (No. 2) [2018] FCA 925 - O'Toole v Charles David Pty Ltd (1991) 171 CLR 232; [1991] HCA 14 - Paton v Campbell Capital Ltd (1993) 46 FCR 30 - Pell v Hodges [2007] NSWCA 234 - Port of Melbourne Authority v Anshun Pty Ltd (1981) 147 CLR 589 - QBI Corp Pty Ltd v Plantation Rise Pty Ltd (2010) 77 ACSR 573 - Re Graziers Pastoral Pty Ltd [2021] NSWSC 1680 - Re Milner; ex parte Milner (1885) 15 QBD 605 - Re Nillumbik Community Church Inc (in admin) [2010] VSC 136 - Re Tiaro Coal Ltd (in liq) [2018] NSWSC 828 - Reid v Commonwealth Bank of Australia [2022] NSWCA 134 - Ren v Jiang (2014) 104 ACSR 149; [2014] NSWCA 388 - Rexel Electrical Supplies Pty Limited v Mentha (Administrator) in the matter of ACN 004 410 833 Limited (formerly Arrium Limited) (2018) 133 ACSR 236; [2018] FCAFC 229 - Rexel Electrical Supplies Pty Limited v Mentha (Administrator) in the matter of ACN 004 410 833 Limited (formerly Arrium Limited) (No 2) [2019] FCAFC 37 - Scuderi v Morris (2001) 4 VR 125; [2001] VSCA 190 - Shaw v New South Wales [2012] NSWCA 102 - Spencer v Commonwealth of Australia (2010) 241 CLR 118; [2010] HCA 28 - State of New South Wales v Hardy (Final) [2021] NSWSC 900 - Tomlinson v Ramsey Food Processing Pty Ltd (2015) 256 CLR 507 - Weston in his capacity as Special Purpose Liquidator of One.Tel Ltd (in liq) v Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd (2012) 88 ACSR 80; [2012] NSWCA 79 - Westpac Banking Corp v Gollin & Co Ltd [1988] VR 397 Category: Procedural rulings Parties: Atradius Credito Y Caucion S.A. De Seguros Y Reaseguros (Plaintiff) Mark Francis Xavier Mentha (First Defendant) Cassandra Elysium Mathews (Second Defendant) Martin Madden (Third Defendant) Brian Webster (Fourth Defendant) Transamerica Life Insurance Company & Others (Fifth to Sixty-Fifth Defendant) Representation: Counsel: D Williams KC/M Cowden/P Santucci (Plaintiff) V Whittaker SC/I King/A Di Stefano (First to Fourth Defendant) P Collinson KC/P Meagher (Participating Financiers)