Ventouris Enterprises Pty Ltd v Dib Group Pty Ltd & Anor (No. 4) [2011] NSWSC 720

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Ventouris Enterprises Pty Ltd v Dib Group Pty Ltd & Anor (No. 4) [2011] NSWSC 720 Decision date: 28 June 2011 Jurisdiction: Equity Division Before: Slattery J Decision: Counsel's fees not recoverable under costs agreement or on a quantum merit as counsel's costs agreement was made in contravention of Legal Profession Act , s 324(1) - plaintiff entitled to a specified gross sum $150,000 under Civil Procedure Act , s 98(4)(c) instead of assessed costs. Catchwords: PROCEDURE - Costs - agreements as to costs - gross sum costs orders under Civil Procedure Act 2005, s 98(4)(c) - counsel makes costs agreement in contravention of Legal Profession Act 2005, s 324(1) - whether counsel's fees recoverable on quantum merit basis despite the contravention - approach to assessing a gross sum costs order, where indemnity costs have been awarded in relation to 75 per cent of plaintiff's costs. Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005, s 98(4)(c) Legal Profession Act 2004, ss 319, 324, 327 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005, r 42.7 Cases Cited: Harrison v Schipp (2002) 54 NSWLR 738 Idoport Pty Ltd v National Australia Bank [2005] NSWSC 1273 Siteberg Pty Ltd v Maples [2010] NSWSC 307 Tim Barr Pty Ltd v Narui Gold Coast Pty Ltd [2011] NSWSC 11 Ventouris Enterprises Pty Ltd v Dib Group Pty Ltd [2010] NSWSC 963 Ventouris Enterprises Pty Ltd v Dib Group Pty Ltd (No 2) [2010] NSWSC 1317 Ventouris Enterprises Pty Ltd v Dib Group Pty Ltd (No.3) [2010] NSWSC 1479 Category: Costs Parties: Plaintiff- Ventouris Enterprises Pty Ltd First Defendant- Dib Group Pty Ltd Second Defendant- Mr George Dib Representation: Plaintiff- S.A. Benson Defendants- D.L. Cook Plaintiff- Butlers Law Group Defendants- Macree Law File Number(s): 2006/257602 Publication restriction: No.