WELDON & CO v. HARBINSON [2000] NSWSC 272

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : WELDON & CO v. HARBINSON [2000] NSWSC 272 revised - 19/04/2000 CURRENT JURISDICTION: Equity FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 2094/99 HEARING DATE(S) : 15-19/11/99; 6, 9/12/99 JUDGMENT DATE : 7 April 2000

PARTIES : Weldon & Co Services Pty Ltd (Plaintiff) Christine Harbinson (Defendant) JUDGMENT OF : Bryson J at 1

COUNSEL : W. Haffenden - Pltf. R. Moore - Dft. SOLICITORS : Cowley Hearne - Pltf. MBA Lawyers - Dft. CATCHWORDS : EMPLOYMENT - competition in business with former employer - employment contract - implied terms - fiduciary duty - good faith and fidelity - acts preparatory to establishing business - lists and records as employer's property - whether fiduciary duties breached - whether misuse of trade secrets or confidential information - whether interception of maturing business opportunity. LEGISLATION CITED : (NSW) Fair Trading Act 1987 s42 Canadian Aero Services Ltd v. O'Malley (1973) 40 DLR (3d) 371 Allen v. Tobias & Anor (1958) 98 CLR 367 Faccenda Chicken Ltd v. Fowler [1985] 1 All ER 724; (1984) ICR 589 Wright v. Gasweld Pty Ltd (1991) 22 NSWLR 317 Reading v Attorney-General [1951] AC 507 CASES CITED : Hivac Ltd v Park Royal Scientific Instruments Ltd [1946] 1 Ch 196. Ormonoid Roofing & Asphalts Ltd v. Bitumenoids Ltd & Ors (1930) 31 SR (NSW) 347 SSC&B: Lintass New Zealand Ltd v. Murphy [1986] 2 NZLR 436 Robb v. Green [1895] 2 QB 1, 13 Coordinated Industries Pty Ltd v. Elliott & Anor (1998) 43 NSWLR 282 Jones v. Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298 Payne v. Parker [1976] 1 NSWLR 191 DECISION : See paras 94 & 95.