Gordian Runoff v Price & Ors [2004] NSWSC 600

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Gordian Runoff v Price & Ors [2004] NSWSC 600 HEARING DATE(S) : 1 July 2004 JUDGMENT DATE : 1 July 2004

JUDGMENT OF : McDougall J at 1 DECISION : See para [16] of judgment

CATCHWORDS : EVIDENCE - legal professional privilege - where plaintiff seeks to restrain first defendant from providing legal services to second defendant - where second defendant asserts that plaintiff gave consent to first defendant to do so - where second defendant relies on laches, acquiescence, waiver or estoppel - where second defendant claims privilege in evidence of conversations from which consent may be inferred and on which claims of laches, acquiescence, waiver or estoppel are based - loss of privilege - whether privilege lost - s 122 Evidence Act - whether implied consent -inconsistency - whether inconsistent for second defendant to assert that first defendant obtained consent of plaintiff to act for second defendant and maintain privilege in discussions said to prove consent - whether inconsistency where second defendant relies on relevant facts to support claims of laches, acquiescence, waiver or estoppel LEGISLATION CITED : Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) Singapore Airlines v Sydney Airports Corporation [2004] NSWSC 380 Adelaide Steamship Co Ltd v Spalvins (1998) 81 FCR 360 Telstra Corporation Ltd v BT Australasia Pty Ltd (1998) 85 FCR 152 Garratt's Limited v Thanga Thangathurai [2002] NSWSC 39 CASES CITED : Fort Dodge Australia Pty Limited v Nature Vet Pty Limited [2002] FCA 501 DSE (Holdings) Pty Ltd v Intertan Inc (2003) 127 FCR 499 Re Doran Constructions Pty Ltd (in liq) (2002) 194 ALR 101 United Rural Enterprises v Lopmand [2002] NSWSC 1142 Mann v Carnell (1999) 201 CLR 1 Gordian Runoff Limited (formerly GIO Insurance Limited) (Plaintiff) PARTIES : Timothy Randolph Price and the persons referred to in Schedule "A" trading as Phillips Fox (First Defendant) Baulderstone Hornibrook Engineering Pty Limited (Second Defendant) FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 50072/04 R M Smith/M A Jones (Plaintiff) COUNSEL : P R Garling SC/I Pike (First Defendant) A J McInerney (Second Defendant) I Denham (Solicitor) (for TGI) Corrs Chambers Westgarth (Plaintiff) SOLICITORS : Phillips Fox (First Defendant) Freehills (Second Defendant) Moray & Agnew (TGI)