Hipost Pty Ltd & Ors v Bidalam Pty Ltd & Ors [2015] NSWDC 230

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Hipost Pty Ltd & Ors v Bidalam Pty Ltd & Ors [2015] NSWDC 230 Hearing dates: 27–30 April, 1, 4, 5, 6 and 22 May 2015; Plaintiff's written submissions 18 May and 16 June 2015; Fifth Defendant's written submissions 18, 21 May and 1 June 2015 Date of orders: 12 October 2015 Decision date: 12 October 2015 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Hatzistergos DCJ Decision: Verdict for the Fifth Defendant Catchwords: TORTS – interfering with contractual relations – procuring or inducing breach of contract – "knowledge" and "intention" of conduct constituting breach of contract – wilful blindness and reckless indifference

EQUITY – breach of fiduciary duty – Barnes v Addy general principles – knowingly assisting breach of fiduciary duty – knowingly profiting from breach of fiduciary duty

CONTRACTS – restraint of trade – assessment of the reasonableness of a restraint – the distinction between non-dealing and non-solicitation restraints

EVIDENCE – inferential fact-finding – circumstantial evidence – balance of probabilities

OTHER – damages – prohibition against double recovery Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) Part IV s 34 Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) s 95 Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) s 97,98 and 136 Restraints of Trade Act 1976 (NSW) s 4 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) rr 15.4, 31.24 and 31.26 Cases Cited: Allstate Life Insurance v Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (1995) 58 FCR 26 Barnes v Addy (1874) LR 9 Ch App 244 Barrett v Ecco Personnel Pty Ltd [1998] NSWCA 30 Baxter v Obacelo Pty Ltd [2000] 48 NSWLR 522 Baxter v Obacelo Pty Ltd (2001) 205 CLR 635 Birdanco Nominees Pty Ltd v Money (2012) 36 VR 341 Bridge v Deacons [1984] AC 705 Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336 Brown v Cunich (1994) ATPR 46-117 Carlton v United Breweries Ltd v Tooth & Co Ltd (19860 7 IPR 581 Civic Video Pty Ltd v Paterson [2014] WASC 321 Cubillo v Commonwealth (2000) 103 FCR DC Thomson & Co Ltd v Deakin [1952] Ch 646 Daebo Shipping Co Ltd v Ship Go Star (2012) 207 FCR 220 Diver v Loktronic Industries Limited [2012] 2 NZLR 388 Emerald Construction Co Ltd v Lowthian [1966] 1 WLR 691 Farah Constructions Pty Ltd v Say-Dee Pty Ltd (2007) 230 CLR 89 Fightvision Pty Ltd v Onisforou (1999) NSWCA 323 Hampton Court v Crooks (1957) 97 CLR 367 Hanna v OAMPS Insurance Brokers Limited [2011] NSWCA 267 Hasler v Singtel Optus Pty Ltd [2014] 87 NSWLR 609 Independent Oil Industries Ltd v Shell Co of Australia Ltd (1937) 37 SR (NSW) 394 Jaddcall v Minson (No 3) [2011] WASC 362 Jameson v Central Electricity Generating Board (2000) 1 AC 455 Johnson v Perez (1988) 166 CLR 351 LED Technologies Pty Ltd v Road Vision Pty Ltd [2012] FCAFC 3 Manly Council v Byrne [2004] NSWCA 123 McCrohon v Harith [2010] NSWCA 67 Michael Wilson & Partners v Slater [2014] FCCA 2871 Miles v Genesys Wealth Advisors Ltd [2009] NSWCA 25 Millar v Bassey [1994] E.M.L.R.44 Network Ten Pty Ltd v Seven Network (Operations) Ltd [2014] NSWSC 692 Northern Territory v Mengel (1995) 185 CLR 307 OBG v Allan; Douglas v Hello! Ltd (No 3); Mainstream Properties v Young [2007] UKHL 21 Payne v Parker (1976) 1 NSWLR 191 Pearson v HRX Holdings Pty Ltd (2012) 205 FCR 187 Permanent Custodians Ltd v Geagea (No 3) [2014] NSWSC 1489 Planet Fitness Pty Limited v Brooke Dunlop & Ors [2012] NSWSC 1425 Qantas Airways Ltd v Transport Workers Union of Australia [2011] FCA 470 Ruffino v Grace Bros Pty Ltd [1980] 1 NSWLR 732 Seltsam Pty Ltd v McGuiness (2000) 49 NSWLR 262 Short v City Bank of Sydney (1912) 15 CLR 148 Sidameneo (No 456) Pty Ltd v Alexander [2011] NSWCA 418 Todorovic v Waller (1981) 150 CLR 402 Texts Cited: R P Balkin and J L R Davis, The Law of Torts (5th Edition, LexisNexis Butterworths) H Carty, 'The Economic Torts in the 21st Century' (2008) 124 LQR 641 J D Heydon, Cross on Evidence (10th Edition, LexisNexis Butterworths) JD Heydon, The Restraint of Trade Doctrine (3rd Edition, LexisNexis Butterworths) Ritchie's Uniform Civil Procedure NSW (LexisNexis, Sydney, 2005) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Hipost Pty Ltd (First Plaintiff) Priano Pty Ltd (Second Plaintiff) HK Christensen Pty Ltd (Third Plaintiff) Bizak Pty Ltd (Fourth Plaintiff) Guthega Holdings Pty Ltd (Fifth Plaintiff) MFC Holdings (NSW) Pty Ltd (Sixth Plaintiff) Stretched Red Pty Ltd (Seventh Plaintiff) Platinum Red Pty Ltd (Eighth Plaintiff) Jabah Nominees Pty Ltd (Ninth Plaintiff) Keshmont Pty Ltd (Tenth Plaintiff)