Green v Brown [2002] NSWIRComm 177

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales in Court Session

CITATION : Green v Brown [2002] NSWIRComm 177 FIRST APPELLANT Alan Myer Green

SECOND APPELLANT Image Clothing Pty Limited

PARTIES : THIRD APPELLANT Ecroblack Pty Limited

FIRST RESPONDENT Charlotte Anne Brown

SECOND RESPONDENT Charlie Brown Pty Limited FILE NUMBER: IRC 4613 of 2000 CORAM: Wright J President; Walton J Vice-President; Boland J CATCHWORDS : Appeal - Application for leave to appeal - Cross-appeal - Unfair contract - Application of Anshun principle - Orders that affect orders made by the Supreme Court - Termination of employment - Disclosure of confidential information - Whether breach of fiduciary duty - Mitigation - Value of partnership business - Slip rule - Leave to appeal granted - Appeal upheld in part Contracts Review Act 1980 Fair Trading Act 1987 Industrial Court (Interim) Rules 1992 Industrial Relations Act 1991 s 275 LEGISLATION CITED : Industrial Relations Act 1996 s 106 Industrial Relations Commission Rules 1996 Jurisdiction of Courts (Cross-vesting) Act 1987 Supreme Court Rules 1970 Trade Practices Act 1974 Adams v Chas S Watson Pty Ltd (1938) 60 CLR 545 Abboud v State of New South Wales (Department of School Education) (No 2) (2000) 99 IR 299 Ansell Rubber Co Pty Ltd v Allied Rubber Industries Pty Ltd (1967) VR 37 Baker v National Distribution Services Limited (1993) 50 IR 254 Bliss v South East Thames Regional Health Authority [1987] ICR 700 British Aircraft Corporation Ltd v Austin [1978] IRLR 332 Bryant v Commonwealth Bank of Australia (1995) 57 FCR 287, (1995) 130 ALR 129, (1995) ATPR 41-421 Bruning v Kingmill (Australia) Pty Limited (1998) 85 IR 78 Chamberlain v Deputy Commissioner of Taxation (1988) 164 CLR 502 Charlie Brown Pty Limited & Anor v Frumar (Unreported, Studdert J, NSWSC, 20 May 1998) Charlie Brown Pty Limited & Anor v Green & Ors (Unreported, McLelland CJ in Eq, NSWSC, 26 June 1995) Coco v A N Clark (Engineers) Ltd (1969) RPC 41 Concut Pty Limited v Worrell (2000) 176 ALR 693 Courtaulds Northern Textiles Ltd v Andrew [1979] IRLR 84 Crowley v Glissan (1905) 2 CLR 402 Day v Lumley Life Ltd (1999) 90 IR 70 DJL v Central Authority (2000) 201 CLR 226 Ecroblack Pty Limited v Charlie Brown Pty Limited (Unreported, McLelland CJ in Eq, NSWSC, 26 June 1995) Gerlach v Clifton Bricks Pty Ltd (2002) 76 ALJR 828 GIO Australia Limited v O'Donnell (1996) 70 IR 1 Heath Group Australasia Pty Ltd v Hanning [1999] NSWSC 719 Henderson v Henderson (1843) 3 Hare 100, [1843-60] AII ER Rep 378, (1843) 67 ER 313 Hibbert v Libidineuse (1990) 37 IR 150 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499 CASES CITED : Knowles v Anglican Church Property Trust (No 2) (1999) 95 IR 380 Ling v Commonwealth (1996) 68 FCR 180, 139 ALR 159 LEP International Pty Limited v Caine (2000) 97 IR 35 Lucy v The Commonwealth (1923) 33 CLR 229 Macquarie Bank Ltd v National Mutual Life Association of Australasia Ltd & Larcombe (1996) 40 NSWLR 543 Mace v Murray (1955) 92 CLR 370 McGurk v ECC Lighting Limited (1996) 82 IR 102 Nolan v Clifford (1904) 1 CLR 429, Port of Melbourne Authority v Anshun Pty Limited (1981) 147 CLR 589 Post Office v Roberts [1980] IRLR 347 Rahme v Commonwealth Bank of Australia (NSWCA, unreported, 20 December 1991) Robinson v Crompton Parkinson Ltd [1978] IRLR 61 Rogers v The Queen (1994) 181 CLR 251 Rothmans Distribution Services Limited v Full Court of the Industrial Court of New South Wales (1994) 53 IR 157 Solicitors (State) Award (No 2) Re (1996) 72 IR 213 State Bank of New South Wales Ltd v Alexander Stenhouse Ltd (1997) Aust Torts Reports 81-423 Stuart v Sanderson (2000) 175 ALR 681 Stone Microsystems (Aust) Pty Limited v Kwong (1997) 42 NSWLR 160 Storey & Keers v Johnstone (1987) 9 NSWLR 446 Texas Co (Australasia) Ltd v Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1940) 63 CLR 382 Rochester Communication Group Pty Limited & Ors v Adler (1996) 65 FCR 572, (1996) 143 ALR 529, (1996) 65 IR 464 Trawl Industries v Effem Foods of Australia Pty Ltd (in liq) Pty Ltd (1992) 36 FCR 406, (1992) 108 ALR 335 Vision Publishing Pty Ltd v PK Lane Holdings Pty Ltd (1998) 84 IR 277 Westfield Holdings v Adams [2001] NSWIRComm 293 Woods v W M Car Services (Peterborough) Ltd [1981] ICR 666 Yat Tung Investments Co Ltd v Dao Heng Bank Ltd [1975] AC 581 HEARING DATES: 04/10/2001; 04/11/2001 DATE OF JUDGMENT: 08/02/2002