Australian Mortgage & Finance Company Pty Ltd as trustee of the Melnikoff Family Trust & Ors v Rome Euro Windows Pty Ltd as trustee of the Rome Euro Windows Unit Trust & Ors [2014] NSWSC 996

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Australian Mortgage & Finance Company Pty Ltd as trustee of the Melnikoff Family Trust & Ors v Rome Euro Windows Pty Ltd as trustee of the Rome Euro Windows Unit Trust & Ors [2014] NSWSC 996 Hearing dates: 26 June and 3 July 2014 Decision date: 25 July 2014 Jurisdiction: Equity Division Before: Black J Decision: Parties to bring in agreed short minutes of order to give effect to judgment and, if no agreement is reached, their respective draft short minutes of order and submissions as to costs within 14 days. Catchwords: CORPORATIONS - membership, rights and remedies - derivative action - application for grant of leave by shareholders to commence and defend proceedings in name of relevant company under Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) s 237 - whether it is probable that company will not bring or defend the proceedings - whether applicants are acting in good faith in bringing or defending proceedings - whether in the best interests of company that applicants be granted leave - whether proposed proceedings involve serious questions to be tried - whether leave should be on terms that company be indemnified from costs - whether appropriate notice has been provided to company.

EQUITY - equitable remedies - application for variation of freezing orders - where there have been subsequent variations to initial freezing order - where no additional material is relied upon by defendants in application for variation - where relevant monies are held by relevant defendant partly as agent for company - whether basis for further variation of freezing orders has been established - whether proposed variation accords with interests of justice. Legislation Cited: -Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) ss 180, 181, 182, 183, 237, 237(2), 237(2)(a), 237(2)(b), 237(2)(c), 237(2)(d), 237(2)(e) Cases Cited: - A v C (No 2) [1981] QB 961; [1981] 2 All ER 126 - Bird v McComb (No 3) [2011] FCA 697 - Break Fast Investments Ltd v Gravity Ventures Pty Ltd [2013] VSC 89 - Cassegrain v Gerard Cassegrain & Co Pty Ltd [2008] NSWSC 976; (2008) 68 ACSR 132 - Chahwan v Euphoric Pty Ltd t/as Clay & Michel [2008] NSWCA 52; (2008) 245 ALR 780 - Chanel Ltd v FW Woolworth & Co [1981] 1 WLR 485; 1 All ER 745 - Cooper v Myrtace Consulting Pty Ltd [2014] FCA 480 - Goozee v Graphic World Group Holdings Pty Ltd [2002] NSWSC 640; (2002) 42 ACSR 534 - Halifax Plc v Chandler [2001] EWCA Civ 1750; [2001] All ER (D) 177 - Maher v Honeysett & Maher Electrical Contractors [2005] NSWSC 859 - MG Corrosion Consultants Pty Ltd v Gilmour [2012] FCA 568 - MG Corrosion Consultants Pty Ltd v Vinciguerra [2011] FCAFC 31; (2011) 82 ACSR 367 - Oates v Consolidated Capital Services Pty Ltd [2009] NSWCA 183; (2009) 76 NSWLR 69 - PCW (Underwriting Agencies) Ltd v Dixon [1983] 2 All ER 158 - Power v Ekstein [2010] NSWSC 137; (2010) 77 ACSR 302 - Re Colorado Products Pty Ltd (in prov liq) [2013] NSWSC 611 - Re Colorado Products Pty Ltd (in prov liq) [2014] NSWSC 64 - Re Fishinthenet Investments Pty Ltd and Coastal Waters Seafood Pty Ltd [2014] NSWSC 260 - Re Gladstone Pacific Nickel Ltd [2011] NSWSC 1235; (2011) 86 ACSR 432 - Re Mycorp Group Pty Ltd [2013] NSWSC 1344 - Szentessy v Woo Ran (Australia) Pty Ltd (No 2) (1985) 64 ACTR 105; 82 FLR 306 - Showtime Management Australia Pty Ltd v Showtime Presents Pty Ltd [2008] NSWSC 618 - South Johnstone Mill Ltd v Dennis [2007] FCA 1448; (2007) 163 FCR 343 - Swansson v RA Pratt Properties Pty Ltd [2002] NSWSC 583; (2002) 42 ACSR 313 - Vereker v Choi (1985) 4 NSWLR 277 - Vinciguerra v MG Corrosion Consultants Pty Ltd [2010] FCA 763; (2010) 79 ACSR 293 Texts Cited: - P Biscoe, Freezing and Search orders: Mareva and Anton Piller orders, (2nd ed 2008, LexisNexis Butterworths) Category: Interlocutory applications Parties: Australian Mortgage & Finance Company Pty Ltd as Trustee for the Melnikoff Family Trust (First Plaintiff) Lilya Melnikoff (Second Plaintiff/First Cross-Defendant) Steve Melnikoff (Third Plaintiff/Second Cross-Defendant) Rome Euro Windows Pty Ltd as trustee of the Rome Euro Windows Unit Trust (First Defendant/First Cross-Claimant) Iryna Rosinska (Second Defendant/Second Cross-Claimant) Yuri Rudi (Third Defendant/Third Cross-Claimant) IUR Australia Holdings Pty Ltd (Fourth Defendant) Rome Euro Windows & Doors Pty Ltd (Fifth Defendant) Kathrin Rudi (Sixth Defendant) Representation: Counsel: D Hogan-Doran (Plaintiffs) J Hyde (First to Fourth Defendants) Solicitors: Aitken Lawyers Pty Ltd (Plaintiffs) Mills Oakley Lawyers (First to Fourth Defendants) File Number(s): 2014/28291