Accord Pacific Holdings Pty Limited v Accord Pacific Land Pty Limited (in liquidation) & ors [2011] NSWSC 707

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Accord Pacific Holdings Pty Limited v Accord Pacific Land Pty Limited (in liquidation) & ors [2011] NSWSC 707 Hearing dates: 23, 27 June 2011 Decision date: 08 July 2011 Jurisdiction: Equity Division - Corporations List Before: Ward J Decision: Application to set aside examination summonses and orders for production dismissed. Amendment to be made to scope of orders for production. Catchwords: CORPORATIONS - application for access to confidential affidavits filed pursuant to section 596C(1) of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) - application to set aside examination summonses and orders for production - HELD - arguable case of improper purpose and access necessary so as fairly to dispose of application - access to confidential affidavits granted - plaintiff failed to establish that predominant purpose of liquidator in issuing examination summons and orders for production is an improper purpose - application to set aside examination summonses and orders for production dismissed - orders for production to plaintiff and others read down Legislation Cited: Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) Uniform Civil Procedures Rules 2005 (NSW) Cases Cited: Alternative Business Solutions Deputy Commissioner of Taxation v Alternative Business Solutions (Aust) Pty Ltd (in admin) [2006] FCA 400 Brooks v Heritage Hotel Adelaide Pty Ltd (1996) 20 ACSR 61 Castlereagh Motels Ltd v Davies-Roe (1966) 84 WN (Pt 2) (NSW) 182 Commonwealth of Australia v Sheahan, in the matter of Markethaven Pty Ltd (subject to a deed of company arrangement) [2004] FCA 1301 DCT v Portinex [2000] NSWSC 99; (2000) 156 FLR 453; (2000) 34 ACSR 391 Hamilton v Oades (1989) 166 CLR 486 Hong Kong Bank of Australia Limited v Murphy (1992) 28 NSWLR 512 In the matter of Idoport Pty Ltd (in liq)(recs apptd) [2011] NSWSC 322 In the matter of Mendarma Pty Ltd (in liq) [2006] NSWSC 1306 Lam Soon Australia Pty Ltd v Molit (No 55) (1996) 70 FCR 34 Lewis v Doran [2004] NSWSC 608; (2004) 50 ACSR 175 Linen House Pty Ltd v Rugs Galore Australia Pty Ltd [1999] VSC 126 Meteyard & ors v Love & ors [2005] NSWCA 444 NAB v Market Holdings Pty Ltd (in liq) [2001] NSWSC 253 New World Alliance Pty Limited, Sycotex Pty Limited v Baseler (1994) 51 FCR 425 O'Brien v Wily (2009) 74 ASCR 145 Onefone Australia Pty Limited v One Tel Limited [2007] NSWSC 1188 Re BPTC Ltd (1992) 7 ACSR 291 Re Excel; Worthley v England (1994) 52 FCR 69 Re Hugh J Roberts Pty Ltd (In liq) [1970] 2 NSWR 582 Re Laurie Cottier Productions Pty Ltd (in liq) (1992) 9 ACSR 513 Re New Tel Limited (In Liquidation); Evans v Wainter Pty Ltd (2005) 221 ALR 331; 54 ACSR 284 Re North Brazilian Sugar Factories (1887) 37 Ch D 83 Scott v Duncan [2007] FCA FC 30 Sims v The Deputy Commissioner of Taxation [2007] NSWSC 998 Southern Cross Petroleum Sales (SA) Pty Ltd (in liq) v Hirsch (1998) 70 SASR 527 The Bell Group Ltd (in liq) v Westpac Banking Corporation (No 9) [2008] WASC 239; (2008) 70 ACSR 1 Sycotex Pty Ltd v Baseler (1994) 122 ALR 531 White Industries (Qld) Pty Limited v Flower & Hart (1998) 156 ALR 169 Williams (as liquidator of Scholz Motor Group Pty Ltd (in liquidation)) v Scholz [2008] FCA 94 Young (as representative for the Australian partnership known as Accenture) v Sherman [2002] NSWCA 281; (2002) 170 FLR 86 Texts Cited: Austin and Black's Annotations to the Corporations Act Ford's Principles of Corporations Law Category: Principal judgment Parties: Accord Pacific Holdings Pty Limited (Plaintiff) Accord Pacific Land Pty Limited (in liquidation) (First Defendant) Bruce Gleeson (Second Defendant) Chuan Thye Patrick Kho (Third Defendant) Steven Gargano (Fourth Defendant) Choon Keng Kho (Fifth Defendant) Wilton Warren (Sixth Defendant) George McDonald (Seventh Defendant) Gavin Lloyd (Eighth Defendant) Alexander Lee (Ninth Defendant) Accord Pacific Properties Pty Ltd (Tenth Defendant) James Lee Pty Ltd (trading as James Lee Solicitors) (Eleventh Defendant) CB Richard Ellis Pty Limited (Twelfth Defendant) James Teh (aka Cheok Ching The) (Thirteenth Defendant) Representation: Counsel M Aldridge SC with L Gor (Plaintiff) S Golledge (First and Second Defendants) Solicitors Colin Biggers & Paisley (Plaintiff) Gillis Delaney (First and Second Defendants) File Number(s): 11/085485