Hudson Investment Group Ltd v Atanaskovic [2013] NSWSC 64

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Hudson Investment Group Ltd v Atanaskovic [2013] NSWSC 64 Hearing dates: 6 February 2012; 7 February 2012; 8 February 2012; 10 February 2012 Decision date: 11 February 2013 Before: Simpson J Decision: (1) Verdict for the defendants. (2) The plaintiff to pay the defendants' costs. Catchwords: TORTS - NEGLIGENCE - professional negligence - breach of contract - claim for damages - legal practitioner retained to draft deed - whether breach of legal practitioner's duty of care - whether drafted in contravention of implied instruction - implied instruction superseded by subsequent communication - whether drafting caused loss or damage - verdict for defendants - plaintiff to pay defendant's costs Cases Cited: Australian Hardboards Ltd and Others v Hudson Investment Group Ltd [2006] NSWCA 146 Australian Hardboards Ltd v Hudson Investment Group Ltd [2007] NSWCA 104 Hudson Investment Group Ltd v Australian Hardboards Ltd & Ors [2006] HCATrans 617 Hudson Investment Group Ltd v Australian Hardboards Ltd [2005] NSWSC 931 Hudson Investment Group Ltd v Australian Hardboards Ltd and Others [2005] NSWSC 716 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Hudson Investment Group Ltd (Plaintiff) John Ljubomir Atanaskovic (First Defendant) Diana Angela Chang (Second Defendant) Daniel Lee Farrugia (Third Defendant) Anthony Geoffrey Hartnell (Fourth Defendant) John Edward Mannix (Fifth Defendant) Mark Stephen Pistilli (Sixth Defendant) Daniel David Simmons (Seventh Defendant) Representation: Counsel: J Kelly SC/N Furlan (Plaintiff) A J Payne SC/R M Foreman (Defendants) Solicitors: Piper Alderman (Plaintiff) Middletons (Defendants) File Number(s): 2007/265085