Leading Edge Events Australia Pty Ltd v Kiri Te Kanawa [2007] NSWSC 228

Reported Decision : (2007) Aust Contract Reports 90-250

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Leading Edge Events Australia Pty Ltd v Kiri Te Kanawa [2007] NSWSC 228

HEARING DATE(S) : 29, 30, 31 January 2007, 1, 5, 6 February 2007

JUDGMENT DATE : 21 March 2007

JURISDICTION : Equity - Commercial List

JUDGMENT OF : Bergin J

DECISION : No binding contract. Plaintiff entitled to recover expenses. Plaintiff's claim against the defendants for misleading or deceptive conduct fails.

CATCHWORDS : [CONTRACT] - Whether the parties had reached oral agreement on all essential terms with the intention of entering into a written contract no different from those terms - [QUANTUM MERUIT/EQUITABLE ESTOPPEL] - Whether, having regard to various aspects of the defendants' conduct, it was reasonable to assume a written contract would be entered into - Whether plaintiff entitled to recovery of expenditure incurred based on that assumption - [MISLEADING OR DECEPTIVE CONDUCT] - Whether the defendants represented that the first defendant would perform at the Concerts - Whether misleading or deceptive - Whether plaintiff relied on misrepresentation

LEGISLATION CITED : Fair Trading Act 1987 (NSW) Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth)

Ashington Piggeries Ltd v Christopher Hill Ltd [1972] AC 441 Australian Broadcasting Corporation v XIVth Commonwealth Games Ltd (1988) 18 NSWLR 540 Brambles Holdings Ltd v Bathurst City Council (2001) 53 NSWLR 153 Brenner v First Artists' Management Pty Ltd [1993] 2 VR 221 Brewer Street Investments Ltd v Barclays Woollen Co Ltd [1954] 1 QB 428 Cadorange Pty Ltd (in liq) v Tanga Holdings Pty Ltd (1990) 20 NSWLR 26 Countrywide Communications Ltd v ICL Pathway Ltd [2000] CLC 324 E K Nominees Pty Ltd v Woolworths Ltd [2006] NSWSC 1172 Fensom v Cootamundra Racecourse Reserve Trust [2000] NSWSC 1072 CASES CITED : Independent Grocers Co-operative Ltd v Noble Lowndes Superannuation Consultants Ltd (1993) 60 SASR 525 Integrated Computer Services Pty Ltd v Digital Equipment Corporation (Australia) Pty Ltd (1988) 5 BPR 11,110 Gissing v Gissing [1971] AC 886 Masters v Cameron (1954) 91 CLR 353 POS Media Online Ltd v Queensland Investment Corporation [2001] FCA 809 Regalian Properties plc v London Dockland Development Corp [1995] 1 WLR 212 Sabemo Pty Ltd v North Sydney Municipal Council [1977] 2 NSWLR 880 Sinclair v Rankin (No 2) (1908) 10 WALR 126 Sinclair, Scott & Co Ltd v Naughton (1929) 43 CLR 310 Waltons Stores (Interstate) Ltd v Maher (1988) 164 CLR 387 William Lacey (Hounslow) Ltd v Davis [1957] 1 WLR 932