Halkett v APG & Co Pty Ltd (No 2) [2023] NSWSC 1215

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Halkett v APG & Co Pty Ltd (No 2) [2023] NSWSC 1215 Hearing dates: On the papers Date of orders: 13 October 2023 Decision date: 13 October 2023 Jurisdiction: Equity - Commercial List Before: Rees J Decision: Indemnity costs ordered from offer of compromise. Catchwords: COSTS — offer of compromise — extensive pre-litigation communications involving lawyers, accounting experts and partial resolution of dispute in Settlement Deed – offer made six weeks after proceedings commenced and pleadings closed — whether plaintiff in a position to assess parameters of dispute — whether defendants later changed their case – not appropriate to "order otherwise". Legislation Cited: Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) r 20.26, 42.15A Cases Cited: Fairall v Hobbs (No 2) [2017] NSWCA 133 Fernandez v Perez (No 2) [2012] NSWSC 1602 IFTC Broking Services Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation (2010) 268 ALR 1 Leach v The Nominal Defendant (QBE Insurance (Australia) Ltd) (No 2) [2014] NSWCA 391 Morgan v Johnson (1998) 44 NSWLR 578 New South Wales Insurance Ministerial Corp v Reeve (1993) 42 NSWLR 100 Port Kembla Coal Terminal Ltd v Braverus Maritime Inc (No 2) [2004] FCA 1437 Regency Media Pty Ltd v AAV Australia Pty Ltd [2009] NSWCA 368 Rolls Royce Industrial Power (Pacific) Ltd v James Hardie & Co Pty Ltd [2001] NSWCA 461 Shaw v Jarldorn [1999] SASC 529 Walker v Harwood [2017] NSWCA 228 Texts Cited: G E Dal Pont, Law of Costs (LexisNexis Butterworths, 5th ed, 2021) Category: Costs Parties: Peter Halkett (Plaintiff) APG & Co Pty Ltd (First Defendant) Sports Fashions Group Pty Ltd (Second Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Mr M Elliott SC / Mr B Goodyear (Plaintiff) Mr P Braham SC / Mr S Gray (Defendants)