LGS v Francesco Barbagallo (No.3) [2012] NSWSC 1099

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: LGS v Francesco Barbagallo (No.3) [2012] NSWSC 1099 Hearing dates: 20/08/2012, 21/08/2012, 22/08/2012, 23/08/2012 and 24/08/2012 Decision date: 18 September 2012 Jurisdiction: Equity Division - Commercial List Before: McDougall J Decision: Judgment for defendants with costs. Catchwords: [INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY] - confidential information - obligation of confidentiality - whether plaintiffs have identified with adequate specificity, information claimed by it, to be confidential - whether defendant has misused confidential information in breach of employment obligations.

[EQUITY] - fiduciary duty - whether fiduciary duty owed - whether breach of equitable duty of confidence - whether valid assignment of information proposal - whether defendants have accessory liability to either or both of the plaintiffs.

[EVIDENCE] - approach to assessment of evidence - the jury basis - whether sufficiency of evidence is to be assessed on the jury basis. Legislation Cited: Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules (2005) Cases Cited: Amway Corporation v Eurway International Ltd [1974] RPC 82 Arthur Murray Dance Studios of Cleveland Inc v Witter 105 NE 2d 685 Barnes v Addy (1874) LR 9 Ch App 244 Corrs Pavey Whiting and Byrne v Collector of Customers (Vic) (1987) 14 FCR 434 Hughes v National Trustees, Executors and Agency Company of Australasia Limited (1979) 143 CLR 134 Hunt v Watkins (2000) 49 NSWLR 508 Interfirm Comparison (Australia) Pty Ltd v Law Society of New South Wales [1975] 2 NSWLR 104 Mailman v Ellison [1993] NSWCA 169 Naxakis v West General Hospital (1999) 197 CLR 269 Optus Networks Pty Ltd v Telstra Corporation Ltd (2010) 265 ALR 281 O'Brien v Komesaroff (1982) 150 CLR 310 RosenKranz v Dessaix (2003) NSWSC 1085 Saltman Engineering Co Ltd v Campbell Egineering Co Ltd (1948) 65 RPC 203 Texts Cited: J. D. Heydon, Restraint of Trade Doctrine, 3rd Ed (2008) Butterworths Category: Principal judgment Parties: LGS (New South Wales) Pty Ltd (Formerly in Vivo Communications Pty Ltd) (Subject to deed of company arrangement) ACN 076 683 013 & LGS (Vic) Pty Ltd ACN 079 799 787(Plaintiff) Francesco Barbagallo (First Defendant) Chiron Communications Pty Ltd (ACN 068 226 166) (Second Defendant) Adrenalin Strategics Pty Ltd (Third Defendant) Representation: Counsel: F G Lever SC / R M Higgins (Plaintiff) I M Jackman SC / M R Tyson (Defendants) Solicitors: Gillis Delaney Lawyers (Plaintiff) HWL Ebsworth (Defendants) File Number(s): 2006/293462