Charles Delius Somerville Alexander and Ors (t/as Minter Ellison) v Perpetual Trustees WA Limited (ACN 008 666 886) and Perpetual Trustee Company Limited (ACN 000 001 007) [2001] NSWCA 240

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : Charles Delius Somerville Alexander and Ors (t/as Minter Ellison) v Perpetual Trustees WA Limited (ACN 008 666 886) and Perpetual Trustee Company Limited (ACN 000 001 007) [2001] NSWCA 240 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40067/99 HEARING DATE(S) : 22, 23 May 2001 JUDGMENT DATE : 30 July 2001

Charles Delius Somerville Alexander and Ors (t/as Minter Ellison) - Appellants PARTIES : Perpetual Trustees WA Limited (ACN 008 666 886) - 1st Respondent Perpetual Trustee Company Limited (ACN 000 001 007) - 2nd Respondent JUDGMENT OF : Stein JA at 1; Davies AJA at 124; Ipp AJA at 145

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : Supreme Court LOWER COURT SC 50230/97 FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT Rolfe J JUDICIAL OFFICER :

COUNSEL : M A Pembroke SC/I M Jackman/T M Faulkner - Appellants S Robb QC/J Simpkins SC - Respondents SOLICITORS : Mallesons Stephen Jacques - Appellants Phillips Fox - Respondents CATCHWORDS : CONTRACT - exclusion clauses - whether conduct in good faith - whether honest belief for the benefit of beneficiaries - CONTRACT - exclusion clauses - construction - whether obligations under the Agreement complied with - NEGLIGENCE - right of contribution - whether obligations 'of the same nature and the same extent' - common burden - NEGLIGENCE - duty of care - conflict of interest - EQUITY - trust - breach of trust - whether breach in good faith - whether honest belief conduct was in interests of beneficiaries - D LEGISLATION CITED : Corporations Law Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1946 Wrongs Act 1958 (Vic) Australian Eagle Insurance Co Ltd v Mutual Acceptance (Insurance) Pty Ltd [1983] 3 NSWLR 59 Armitage v Nurse [1987] Ch 241 Australian Eagle Insurance Co Ltd v Mutual BP Petroleum Development Ltd v Esso Petroleum Ltd [1987] SLT 345 Burke v LFOT Pty Ltd (2000) 178 ALR 161 Caledonian Railway Co v Colt (1860) 3 Macq 833 Cockburn v GIO Insurance [2001] NSWCA 177 Darlington Futures Ltd v Delco Australia Pty Ltd (1986) 161 CLR 500 Florida Hotels Pty Ltd v Mayo (1965) 113 CLR 588 Goodman v Harvey (1836) 4 A & E 870 CASES CITED: Hayim v Citibank NA [1987] 1 AC 730 In re Vickery [1931] 1 Ch 572 Lamru Pty Ltd v Ketion Pty Ltd (1998) 44 NSWLR 432 Lidden v Composite Buyers Ltd (1996) 139 ALR 549 Mahoney v McManus (1981) 180 CLR 370 Oxley County Council v MacDonald [1999] NSWCA 100 Redken Laboratories (Aust) Pty Limited v Docker [2000] NSWCA 100 Re La Rosa; Ex Parte Norgard (1991) 31 FCR 83 Royal Brunei Airways Sdn Bhd v Tan [1995] 2 AC 378 Scholefield Goodman & Sons Ltd v Zyngier [1986] AC 562 Street v Retravision (NSW) Pty Ltd (1995) 56 FCR 588 Walker v Stones [2001] 2 WLR 623 DECISION : Appeal dismissed with costs