Shalhoub v Johnson [2023] NSWDC 555

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Shalhoub v Johnson [2023] NSWDC 555 Hearing dates: 26 October 2023 Date of orders: 13 December 2023 Decision date: 13 December 2023 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Gibson DCJ Decision: (1) Summons dismissed; plaintiff's grounds of appeal dismissed. (2) Costs reserved with liberty to apply, including the bringing of any application for a gross sum costs order. (3) Liberty to apply in relation to any claim for interest. (4) Exhibits retained until further order. Catchwords: COSTS APPEAL – costs of a four-day trial in the Equity Division awarded to the defendants on an indemnity basis – plaintiff appeals from Costs Assessor to Review Panel and from Review Panel to the District Court – nature of a rehearing – whether sufficient consideration given to proportionality issues – whether charges by solicitors overlapped – whether briefing senior counsel (without a junior) excessive for assertedly simple Equity proceedings – no issue of principle Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), ss 60, 98(4), 149 Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW), s 177 Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth), s 37M(2)(e) Legal Profession Uniform Law 2014 (NSW), s 172 Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014 (NSW), s 89 Cases Cited: Behnia v Sarraf (No 2) [2019] NSWDC 281 Gazecki v McCabes Lawyers Pty Ltd (2020) 102 NSWLR 259; [2020] NSWCA 98 Gilmore Finance Pty Ltd v Aesthete No 3 Pty Ltd [2020] NSWCA 114 Grizonic v Suttor [2008] NSWSC 914 Jones v Sutton (No 2) [2005] NSWCA 203 Laro-Bashford v Miros [2016] VSC 77 Mohareb v State of New South Wales [2023] NSWCA 289 Perth Airport Pty Ltd v Qantas Airways Ltd (No 3) [2022] WASC 51 Price v BW & RD Smart (No 2) [2020] SASCFC 15 Roberts v Rodier [2006] NSWSC 1084 Rock v Henderson [2021] NSWCA 155 Sanderson as liquidator of Sakr Nominees Pty Ltd (in liq) v Sakr (2017) 93 NSWLR 459; [2017] NSWCA 38 Skalkos v T & S Recoveries Pty Ltd (2004) 65 NSWLR 151; [2004] NSWCA 281 Stanley v Phillips (1966) 115 CLR 470 Texts Cited: Roger Gyles AO KC, "A Review of the Senior Counsel Protocol", Bar News, Winter 2020 at p 9 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Maria Shalhoub (Plaintiff) Michael Joseph Johnson (Defendant) Sheila Pyper Royles (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Mr M Sahade (Plaintiff) Mr R O'Gorman-Hughes (Defendants)