Hudson Investments Group Ltd v Atanaskovic [2010] NSWSC 1055

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Hudson Investments Group Ltd v Atanaskovic [2010] NSWSC 1055

HEARING DATE(S) : 26 August 2010

JUDGMENT DATE : 25 October 2010

JURISDICTION : COMMON LAW

JUDGMENT OF : Davies J

DECISION : (1) Grant leave to the Plaintiff to file the proposed Further Amended Statement of Claim but without the following parts: (a) paragraph (b) of the relief claimed; (b) paragraph 12D(e); (c) the words "& breach of fiduciary duty" in the heading before paragraph 29; (d) sub-paragraph (b) of paragraph 29; (e) sub-paragraph (iv) of paragraph 30; (f) paragraph 31; (g) the words in paragraph 32 "and breach of fiduciary duty". (2) The Defendants' rights to argue that any part of the amended pleading is statute-barred are reserved to the trial. (3) The Plaintiff is to pay the Defendants' costs thrown away by reason of the amendments including the costs of this Notice of Motion.

CATCHWORDS : PROCEDURE - amendment - application to amend Statement of Claim - existing claim against solicitors for breach of retainer and negligence - proposed amendment alleges breach of fiduciary duty - whether fiduciary duty alleged is known to the law - whether actual prejudice by lateness of amendment. EQUITY - general principles - fiduciary obligations - solicitors retained to act on sale of shares by vendor - authorised Director is also Director of purchaser company - whether solicitors in position of conflict - whether fiduciary obligation owed.

Evidence Act 1995 LEGISLATION CITED : Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules

CATEGORY : Procedural and other rulings

Alamdo Holdings Pty Ltd v Australian Window Furnishings (NSW) Pty Ltd [2006] NSWSC 1073 Aon Risk Services Australia Limited v Australian National University [2009] HCA 27; (2009) 83 ALJR 951 Barnes v Addy (1874) LR 9 Ch App 244 Beach Petroleum NL v Kennedy (1999) 48 NSWLR 1 Breen v Williams (1996) 186 CLR 71 Brisbane South Regional Health Authority v Taylor (1996) 186 CLR 541 CASES CITED : Dare v Pulham (1982) 148 CLR 658 Farah Constructions Pty Ltd v Say-Dee Pty Ltd (2007) 230 CLR 89 General Steel Industries Inc v Commissioner for Railways (1964) 112 CLR 125 Leotta v Public Transport Commission of NSW (1976) 50 ALJR 666 Maguire v Makaronis (1997) 188 CLR 449 Maronis Holdings Ltd v Nippon Credit Australia Ltd [2001] NSWSC 448; (2001) 38 ACSR 404 Pilmer v The Duke Group Ltd (in liq) (2001) 207 CLR 165 Spencer v Commonwealth of Australia [2010] HCA 28