Stillman v Rusbourne [2015] NSWCA 410

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Stillman v Rusbourne [2015] NSWCA 410 Hearing dates: 29 June 2015 Decision date: 16 December 2015 Before: Basten JA at [1]; Gleeson JA at [51]; Simpson JA at [62] Decision: Leave to appeal refused with costs. Catchwords: NEGLIGENCE – scope of advocates' immunity – applicant advised to settle following court ordered mediation – whether advice led to a decision affecting conduct of case in court – judgment entered pursuant to settlement – sufficient connection between advice and conduct of case in court – leave to appeal refused Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), s 91 Crimes (Appeal and Review) Act 2001 (NSW), Pt 7 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), rr 13.4, 36.15, 36.16 Cases Cited: Alpine Holdings Pty Ltd v Feinauer [2008] WASCA 85 Application of Malcolm Huntley Potier [2012] NSWCA 222 Attwells & Anor v Jackson Lalic Lawyers Pty Ltd [2015] HCATrans 176 Biggar v McLeod [1978] 2 NZLR 9 Bott v Carter [2012] NSWCA 89 Chamberlain v Ormsby t/as Ormsby Flower [2005] NSWCA 454 D'Orta-Ekenaike v Victoria Legal Aid [2005] HCA 12; 223 CLR 1 Donellan v Watson (1990) 21 NSWLR 335 Donnellan v Woodland [2012] NSWCA 433 Gett v Tabet [2009] NSWCA 76; 254 ALR 504 Giannarelli v Wraith [1988] HCA 52; 165 CLR 543 In the matter of an Appeal by Luck [2003] HCA 70; 78 ALJR 177 Independent Commission Against Corruption v Kinghorn [2015] NSWCA 342 Jackson Lalic Lawyers Pty Ltd v Attwells [2014] NSWCA 335 Kendirjian v Lepore [2015] NSWCA 132 Kirk v Industrial Court of New South Wales (2010) 239 CLR 531; [2010] HCA 1 Newmont Pty Ltd v Laverton Nickel NL (No 2) [1981] 1 NSWLR 221 Rees v Sinclair [1974] 1 NZLR 180 Sims v Chong (2015) 230 FCR 346; [2015] FCAFC 80 Swinfen v Lord Chelmsford (1860) 5 H&N 890; 157 ER 1436 Symonds v Vass [2009] NSWCA 139; 257 ALR 689 Texts Cited: S Walmsley, A Abadee, B Zipser, G Sirtes, Professional Liability in Australia (3rd ed, Thomson Reuters, 2016) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Trevor James Stillman (Applicant) Peter Edward John Rusbourne (First Respondent) Matthew Gerard Coates (Second Respondent) Tiana Victoria Daly (Third Respondent) Sonja Adriana Fay Daly (Fourth Respondent) Leanne Kylie Walker (Fifth Respondent) Representation: Counsel: G McIntyre SC/A E Maroya (Appellant) M J Darke SC/F St John (Respondents)