FMS P/L & 7 Ors v Lewis & 2 Ors t/as Morgan Lewis Alter Lawyers [2002] NSWSC 932

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : FMS P/L & 7 Ors v Lewis & 2 Ors t/as Morgan Lewis Alter Lawyers [2002] NSWSC 932 CURRENT JURISDICTION: Equity FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 4387/2002 HEARING DATE(S) : 30 September 2002 JUDGMENT DATE : 10 October 2002

Flexible Manufacturers Systems Pty Ltd (First Plaintiff)

Katingal Pty Ltd (Second Plaintiff)

Paul Boyce Pty Ltd (Third Plaintiff)

Royce Bruce Ritchie (Fourth Plaintiff)

Access-Sria Pty Ltd PARTIES : (Fifth Plaintiff)

Davunda Pty Ltd (Sixth Plaintiff)

WRS Investments Pty Ltd (Seventh Plaintiff)

Royce Ruitchie & Associates (Eighth Plaintiff)

Leslie Lewis, Peter Maurice Alter and Mark Edward James Morgan t/as Morgan Lewis Alter Lawyers (Defendants) JUDGMENT OF : Acting Master Berecry

Mr J Stevenson (Plaintiffs) COUNSEL : Mr V Gray (Defendants) Peter Kemp, Solicitors (Plaintiffs) SOLICITORS : Morgan Lewis Alter Lawyers (defendants) CATCHWORDS : Legal Profession Act 1987 - lien - solicitor/client - termination of service - fee agreement - failure to pay in accordance with agreement - reasonableness of solicitor's actions - new solicitor instructed concerning reasonableness of costs - whether it shows loss of trust by client LEGISLATION CITED : Legal Profession Act 1987 - s 209C Gamlen Chemical Co (UK) Limited v Rochem Limited [1980] 1 WLR 614 Heslop v Metcalfe (1837) 3 My & Cr 183; (1837) ER 89 Wadsworth v Marshall (1832) 2 Cr & J 665 CASES CITED : Robbins v Goldingham (1872) 13 Eq 440 Jankowski & Anor v Mastoris (unreported BC9505502, 19 September 1995) Re Weedman, unreported Drummond J, BC9606375, 17 December 1996 Huges v Hughes (1958) P 244; [1958] 3 All ER 179 DECISION : See para 21