Lewis v Estate of Juan Martinez [2025] NSWCA 2

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Lewis v Estate of Juan Martinez [2025] NSWCA 2 Hearing dates: 14, 15 and 17 October 2024 Date of orders: 30 January 2025 Decision date: 30 January 2025 Before: Payne JA at [1]; Mitchelmore JA at [246]; Stern JA at [247] Decision: (1) Cross-appeal allowed. (2) Set aside orders 1-4 made by the primary judge on 8 April 2024 and in lieu thereof order: (a) The Further Amended Statement of Claim is dismissed; (b) Plaintiff (Mr Lewis) to pay the Respondents' (the Capital Partners') costs of the Further Amended Statement of Claim. (3) Appeal dismissed. (4) Appellant/Cross-respondent (Mr Lewis) to pay the Cross-appellants/Respondents' (the Capital Partners') costs of the appeal and the cross-appeal. Catchwords: PARTNERSHIP AND JOINT VENTURES – rights and duties between parties – expulsion – whether expulsion valid – interpretation of Partnership Deed – where resolution to waive time and expulsion resolution were voted by a single voting button – whether resolutions required approval of not less than 80% of all Capital Partners PARTNERSHIP AND JOINT VENTURES – rights and duties between parties – findings of fact – whether appellant lost the opportunity to increase calibration points – whether resolutions proposed for an improper purpose PARTNERSHIP AND JOINT VENTURES – dissolution – dissolution by court of partnership – whether date of dissolution is the date of the statement of claim or the date of the expulsion resolution – dissolution on just and equitable ground APPEALS – from exercise of discretion – separate question order – whether primary judge erred in making order for costs for hearing the separate question – whether appellant's claim sufficiently heard – whether relief granted incomplete Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) Part 6 Partnership Act 1958 (Vic) ss 24, 26, 28, 29, 30, 36, 37, 39, 47, 48, 68, 69 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) r 36.16 Cases Cited: Australian Metropolitan Life Assurance Co Ltd v Ure (1923) 33 CLR 199 Bartier Perry Pty Ltd v Paltos [2021] NSWCA 158 Blisset v Daniel (1853) 10 Hare 493; 63 ER 1022 Boensch v Pascoe (2019) 268 CLR 593; [2019] HCA 49 Burdett-Coutts v IRC [1960] 1 WLR 1027 Canny Gabriel Castle Jackson Advertising Pty Ltd v Volume Sales (Finance) Pty Ltd (1974) 131 CLR 321 Cappe v Tsung [2018] NSWCA 86 Chandrasekaran v Western Sydney Local Health District (t/as Westmead Hospital) (No 2) [2024] NSWCA 21 Commissioner of State Taxation v Cyril Henschke Pty Ltd (2010) 242 CLR 508; [2010] HCA 43 CVC/Opportunity Equity Partners Ltd v Almeida [2002] UKPC 16 Dibb v Transport for New South Wales (No 2) [2024] NSWCA 176 Dickson v Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police (No 2) [2023] NSWCA 111 Electricity Generation Corporation v Woodside Energy Ltd (2014) 251 CLR 640; [2014] HCA 7 FCT v Murry (1998) 193 CLR 605 Firebird Global Master Fund II Ltd v Republic of Nauru (2015) 90 ALJR 270; [2015] HCA 53 Foster v Commissioner of Stamps [1966] WAR 144 General Accident, Fire and Life Assurance Corp v Robertson [1909] AC 404 Hancock v Rinehart [2015] NSWSC 646 Hendry v Perpetual Executors & Trustees Association (1961) 106 CLR 256 House v King (1936) 55 CLR 499 Hurst v Bryk [2002] 1 AC 185 Kuhl v Zurich Financial Services Australia Ltd (2011) 243 CLR 361; [2011] HCA 11 Kuru v State of New South Wales (2008) 236 CLR 1; [2008] HCA 26 Liao v NSW [2014] NSWCA 71 Lyon v Tweddell (1881) 17 Ch D 529 Majak v Rose (No 5) [2017] NSWCA 238 Manning River Cooperative Dairy Co Ltd v Shoesmith (1915) 19 CLR 714 Mount Bruce Mining Pty Limited v Wright Prospecting Pty Limited (2015) 256 CLR 104; [2015] HCA 37 Mullins v Laughton [2003] Ch 250 Murray Darling Basin Authority v Doyle's Farm Produce Pty Ltd [2021] NSWCA 191 Noranda Australia Ltd v Lachlan Resources NL (1988) 14 NSWLR 1 Paltos v Milevski [2023] NSWCA 7 Pirrottina v Pirrottina [2024] NSWSC 558 Russell v Russell (1880) 14 Ch D 471 Ryder v Frohlich [2004] NSWCA 472 Singh v Singh [2024] NSWSC 932 State of New South Wales v Dargin [2019] NSWCA 47 State Rail Authority (NSW) v Codelfa Construction Pty Ltd (1982) 150 CLR 29 Syers v Syers (1876) 1 App Cas 174 Tabcorp Holdings Ltd v Bowen Investments Pty Ltd (2009) 236 CLR 272; [2009] HCA 8 Twenty-First Australia Inc v Shade [1998] NSWSC 325 Variety Video v Jones [2001] NSWSC 5 Wood v Woad (1874) LR 9 Exch 190 Yard v Yardoo Pty Ltd [2007] VSCA 35 Texts Cited: Elisabeth Peden and John Carter, "The Bonds of Partnership" (2000) 16 Journal of Contract Law 275 Stephen Graw, "Terminating Partnerships by 'Accepted Repudiation': the Differing UK and Australian Approaches" Society of Legal Scholars 110th Annual Conference, University of Central Lancashire (3-6 September 2019) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Gregory William Francis Lewis (appellant/cross-respondent) Juan Martinez and the persons named in the Schedule (respondents/cross-appellants) Representation: Counsel: F M Douglas KC / J K Carter / J B Douglas (appellant/cross-respondent) D L Williams SC / A J Barnett (respondents/cross-appellants)