Mace Neufeld & Anor. v. OZ-US Film Productions Pty. Ltd. (In Liquiation) [2002] NSWCA 335

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : Mace Neufeld & Anor. v. OZ-US Film Productions Pty. Ltd. (In Liquiation) [2002] NSWCA 335 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40979/01 HEARING DATE(S) : 2 October 2002 JUDGMENT DATE : 2 October 2002

Mace Neufeld - first claimant PARTIES : Mace Neufeld Productions Inc. - second claimant OZ-US Film Productions Pty. Ltd. (In Liquidation) - respondent JUDGMENT OF : Spigelman CJ at 1, 32, 34; Hodgson JA at 2; Beazley JA at 33

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : Supreme Court - Equity Division LOWER COURT ED 3922/97 FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT Burchett AJ JUDICIAL OFFICER :

COUNSEL : Mr. I Wales SC with Mr. M. Ashurst for claimants Mr. P. Brereton SC with Mr. R. Brender for opponent SOLICITORS : Noyce Legal, Parramatta for claimants Cutler Hughes & Harris, Sydney for opponent CATCHWORDS : CONFLICT OF LAWS - PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE - Service in California - Application to set aside service or decline jurisdiction - Whether USA defendants 'properly joined' - Whether substantive and limitation law of California applied - Whether cause of action statute-barred under California law - Applicability and effect of General Steel test. LEGISLATION CITED : Supreme Court Rules Pt.10.r.1A, r.6A, Pt. 11.r.8 Agar v. Hyde (2000) 201 CLR 552 General Steel Industries Inc. v. Commissioner for Railways (NSW) (1964) 112 CLR 125 CASES CITED: John Pfeiffer Pty. Ltd. v. Rogerson (2000) 203 CLR 503 Regie Nationale des Usines Renault SA v Zhang (2002) 187 ALR 1 US Surgical Corporation v. Hospital Products International Pty. Ltd. [1982] 2 NSWLR 766 Wardley Australia v. The State of Western Australia (1992) 175 CLR 514 DECISION : Leave to appeal refused with costs.