Amir Ashrafinia v Mohammad Reza Ashrafinia; Parvaneh Karami Fakhrabadi v Mohammad Reza Ashrafinia [2012] NSWSC 500

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Amir Ashrafinia v Mohammad Reza Ashrafinia; Parvaneh Karami Fakhrabadi v Mohammad Reza Ashrafinia [2012] NSWSC 500 Hearing dates: 28 February 2012 Decision date: 15 May 2012 Jurisdiction: Equity Division Before: Slattery J Decision: No order for costs made against the solicitor for the corporate plaintiff - each party to bear his own costs of this application. Catchwords: PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE - costs - indemnity costs or ordinary costs - challenge to retainer of solicitor for corporate plaintiff, being one of two plaintiffs - solicitor acting for a period of two months - onus of proof on party impugning retainer - exercise of Court's discretion where proceedings would have continued in the name of the non-corporate co-plaintiff in any event - HELD: corporate plaintiff's solicitor not ordered to pay the defendant's costs. Legislation Cited: Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) Cases Cited: A W & L M Forrest Pty Ltd v Beamish (1998) 146 FLR 450 Cohen v The State of Victoria [2011] VSC 229 Dhami v Martin [2010] NSWSC 770 Hawksford v Hawksford (2005) 191 FLR 173 Hillig v Darkinjung Pty Ltd & Ors (No 2) [2008] NSWCA 147 McMaster v Eznut Pty Ltd [2006] WASC 109 Mitropoulos v Greek Orthodox Church and Community of Marrickville & District Ltd (1993) 10 ACSR 134 Northside Developments Pty Ltd v Registrar-General (1990) 170 CLR 146 Toole v Flexihire Pty Ltd (1991) 6 ACSR 455 Wilson v Manna Hill Mining Co Pty Ltd [2004] FCA 912 Wood v Inglis [2008] NSWSC 1147 Zimmerman Holdings v Wales [2002] NSWSC 447 Category: Separate question Parties: First Plaintiff:- Amir Hossain Ashrafinia First Defendant:- Mohammad Reza Ashrafinia; Second Defendant:- Ashrafi Persian Trading Company Pty Limited