Australian Regional Wholesalers v Stafford [2007] NSWSC 572

Reported Decision : (2007) ATPR 42-168

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Australian Regional Wholesalers v Stafford [2007] NSWSC 572

HEARING DATE(S) : 25/05/07

JUDGMENT DATE : 8 June 2007

JUDGMENT OF : Gzell J

DECISION : Summons dismissed with costs. Interlocutory injunction vacated.

CATCHWORDS : EMPLOYMENT LAW - The contract of service and rights, duties and liabilities as between employer and employee - Restraint of trade - Whether any breach or threatened breach of a non-solicitation provision had occurred - Whether the provision was more than adequate - Whether the term of the restraint should be read down under Restraints of Trade Act 1976, s 4(1) - Whether non-solicitation undertakings to the Court sufficient - Whether a non-competition provision to protect confidential information excessive when information too voluminous to be carried away in the head of an employee and no suggestion he took copies - Whether the restraint was incapable of being read down under the Restraints of Trade Act 1976, s 4(1)

LEGISLATION CITED : Restraints of Trade Act 1976

Portal Software v Bodsworth [2005] NSWSC 1179 Koops Martin v Dean Reeves [2006] NSWSC 449 Cactus Imaging Pty Ltd v Glenn Peters [2006] NSWSC 717 John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd v Birt [2006] NSWSC 995 Twenty First Australia Inc v Shade, NSWSC, unreported, 31 July 1998 Arthur Murray Dance Studios of Cleveland Inc v Witter 105 NE (2d) 685, 706 (Ohio, 1951 CASES CITED : McKeown v Cavalier Yachts Pty Ltd (1988) 13 NSWLR 303 Curro v Beyond Productions Pty Ltd (1993) 30 NSWLR 337 Wright v Gasweld Pty Ltd (1991) 22 NSWLR 317 Herbert Morris Ltd v Saxelby [1916] 1 AC 688 Littlewoods Organisation Ltd v Harris [1977] 1 WLR 1472 Woolworths Ltd v Mark Konrad Olson [2004] NSWCA 372 Landmark Underwriting Agency Pty Ltd v Kilborn [2006] NSWSC 1108 Nordenfelt v Maxim Nordenfelt Guns and Ammunition Co Ltd [1894] AC 535