Fiona & John Sinclair Pty Ltd v Burns Bay Services Pty Ltd [2023] NSWSC 789

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Fiona & John Sinclair Pty Ltd v Burns Bay Services Pty Ltd [2023] NSWSC 789 Hearing dates: 5 and 6 October 2022 Date of orders: 07 July 2023 Decision date: 07 July 2023 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Henry J Decision: Binding settlement agreement entered into. See [187]–[190]. Catchwords: CONTRACTS — formation — agreement — whether parties entered into a binding agreement to settle these and related proceedings upon signing settlement document at mediation — where no lawyers present at mediation and settlement document drafted by mediator described as a deed — where parties signed as directors of corporate parties and not separately as individual parties — where signed settlement document does not take effect as a valid deed — whether parties objectively intended to be immediately bound — whether individual parties objectively intended to be bound Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW) Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) Uniform Civil Procedural Rules 2005 (NSW) Cases Cited: 400 George Street (Qld) Pty Ltd v BG International Limited [2012] 2 QD r 302; [2010] QCA 245 Baulkham Hills Private Hospital Pty Ltd v GR Securities Pty Ltd (1986) 40 NSWLR 622 Bombardier Inc v Avwest Aircraft Pty Ltd [2020] WASCA 2 Clark Equipment Credit of Aust Ltd v Kiyose Holdings Pty Ltd (1989) 21 NSWLR 160 GR Securities Pty Ltd v Baulkham Hills Private Hospital Pty Ltd (1986) 40 NSWLR 631 Guang Dong Zhi Gao Australia Pty Ltd v Fortuna Network Pty Ltd [2009] NSWSC 1170 Harris v Burrell & Family Pty Ltd (2010) 271 LSJS 326; [2010] SASCFC 12 Jingalong Pty Ltd v Todd [2015] NSWCA 7 Levitt v Illawarra Seafood Pty Ltd (No 2) (1983) 3 BPR 9137 Masters v Cameron (1954) 91 CLR 353; [1954] HCA 72 Michael Kuehn & Jennifer Kuehn v Masterton Homes (NSW) Pty Ltd (t/as Masterton Homes (NSW) Pty Ltd) [2020] NSWSC 1049 Netglory Pty Ltd v Caratti [2013] WASC 364 Nurisvan Investment Ltd v Anyoption Holdings Ltd [2017] VSCA 141 Pavlovic v Universal Music Australia Pty Ltd (2015) 90 NSWLR 605; [2015] NSWCA 313 Prime Constructions Pty Ltd v Westbridge Investments Pty Ltd (2004) 22 ACLC 1390; [2004] NSWSC 861 Singh v De Castro; Dhaliwal v De Castro; Brar v De Castro [2017] NSWCA 241 Thomson v Harding (1853) 2 El & Bl 630; (1853) 118 ER 904 Vickers v Bell (1864) 46 ER 924 Texts Cited: J R Martyn and N Caddick, Williams, Mortimer and Sunnucks on Executors, Administrators and Probate (20th ed, 2013, Thomson Reuters) N Seddon, Seddon on Deeds (2nd ed, 2022, The Federation Press) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Fiona & John Sinclair Pty Ltd (Plaintiff/First Respondent) Burns Bay Services Pty Ltd (Defendant/First Applicant) Ashod Balanian (Second Applicant) Launch Partners Pty Ltd (Third Applicant) Penelope Richards as personal representative of John Sinclair (Second Respondent) Fiona Sinclair (Third Respondent) Representation: Counsel: T Brennan SC with T Crispin (Plaintiff/Respondents) A Cheshire SC with M Cobb-Clark (Defendant/Applicants)