ASIC v Rich [2004] NSWSC 923

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : ASIC v Rich [2004] NSWSC 923 HEARING DATE(S) : 29 & 30 September, 5 & 6 October 2004 JUDGMENT DATE : 7 October 2004 JURISDICTION: Equity JUDGMENT OF : Austin J DECISION : No waiver of client legal privilege

CATCHWORDS : EVIDENCE - client legal privilege - waiver - disclosure waiver - meetings at which accounting and legal advice was given and a decision was made to commence legal proceeding - whether privilege waived over notes of all communications made at meeting, by production of notes of meetings which masked material relating to legal advice but disclosed statements about legal matters LEGISLATION CITED : Evidence Act 1995 (NSW); ss 118, 119, 122, 126 Ampolex Ltd v Perpetual Trustee Co (Canberra) Ltd (1996) 40 NSWLR 12 Attorney-General for the Northern Territory v Maurice (1986) 161 CLR 475 Esso Australia Resources Ltd v Commission of Taxation (1999) 201 CLR 49 Fort Dodge Australia Pty Ltd v Nature Vet Pty Ltd [2002] FCA 501 Garrat's Ltd v Thanga Thangathurai [2002] NSWSC 39 General Accident Fire and Life Assurance Corporation Ltd v Tanter [1984] 1 WLR 100 Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298 CASES CITED : Mann v Carnell (1999) 201 CLR 1 NRMA Ltd v Morgan (No 2) [1999] NSWSC 694 Perpetual Trustees (WA) Ltd v Equuscorp Pty Ltd [1999] FCA 925 Prus Grybowski v Everingham (1986) 44 NTR 7 Re Konigsberg [1989] 1 WLR 1257 Sevic v Roarty (1998) 44 NSWLR 287 Singapore Airlines v Sydney Airports Corporation [2004] NSWSC 380 Telstra Corporation Ltd v BT Australasia Pty Ltd (1998) 85 FCR 152 Australian Securities and Investments Commission (P) PARTIES : John David Rich (D1) Mark Allen Silberman (D4) FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 5934/01 COUNSEL : R B S Macfarlan QC with P R Durack SC, N Beaumont and J O'Sullivan (P) D L Williams SC with M J Steele and S Goodman (D1, D4) SOLICITORS : Jan Redfern, Solicitor for Australian Securities and Investments Commission (P) Joanne Kelly, Solicitor (D1, D4)