Waugh Asset Management v Merrill Lynch [2010] NSWSC 197

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Waugh Asset Management v Merrill Lynch [2010] NSWSC 197

HEARING DATE(S) : 12/3/10 JURISDICTION : Equity Division Commercial List

JUDGMENT OF : McDougall J at 1

EX TEMPORE JUDGMENT DATE : 12 March 2010

DECISION : Access to documents not granted at this stage. Plaintiff's notice of motion stood over to trial judge for further hearing.

CATCHWORDS : EVIDENCE – client legal privilege – plaintiffs seeking access to documents produced on subpoena by third party – whether question of access determined under Evidence Act 1995, UCPR r 1.9 or common law – where documents sought were underlying documents informing state of mind said to appear from another document – whether privilege waived – (NSW) Evidence Act 1995 s 122, 131A, Uniform Civil Procedure Rules r 1.9. -

LEGISLATION CITED : Evidence Act 1995 (NSW)

CATEGORY : Procedural and other rulings

Akins v Abigroup Ltd (1998) 43 NSWLR 539 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Cadbury Schweppes Pty Limited (2009) 174 FCR 547 Buzzle Operations v Apple Computer Australia [2009] NSWSC 225 CASES CITED : Carbotech-Australia Pty Ltd v Yates [2008] NSWSC 1151 Ingot Capital v Macquarie Equity [2008] NSWSC 25 Markisic v Commonwealth of Australia (2007) 69 NSWLR 737 National Employers' Mutual General Association Ltd v Waind and Hill [1978] 1 NSWLR 372 Sevic v Roarty (1998) 44 NSWLR 287

Waugh Asset Management Pty Limited (Plaintiff) PARTIES : The Executors of the Estate of the Late William Montague Waugh (Second Plaintiff) Merrill Lynch International (Australia) Limited (Defendant)