Veda Advantage (Australia) Pty Ltd v de Beer [2016] NSWSC 37

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Veda Advantage (Australia) Pty Ltd v de Beer [2016] NSWSC 37 Hearing dates: 5 – 8 January and 11 January 2016 Decision date: 09 February 2016 Jurisdiction: Equity - Duty List Before: Black J Decision: Order that the Plaintiff's claim for injunctive relief be dismissed. The Plaintiff to pay the Defendant's costs of and incidental to the application. Catchwords: EQUITY – equitable remedies – injunctions – injunctions in aid of restraints of trade – where the Plaintiff sought an injunction restraining former employee from working for a third party within Australia or New Zealand – where the Plaintiff sought an injunction preventing the Defendant from soliciting the Plaintiff's clients and employees – whether restraint is void for breach of public policy – application of Restraints of Trade Act 1976 (NSW) – whether there is a threat of breach of restraints restricting the Defendant from soliciting the Plaintiff's clients and employees. Legislation Cited: - Evidence Act 1995 (Cth) s 136 - Restraints of Trade Act 1976 (NSW) s 4(1) Cases Cited: - Amoco Australia Pty Ltd v Rocca Bros Motor Engineering Co Pty Ltd [1973] HCA 40; (1973) 133 CLR 288 - ATF Services Pty Ltd v Chapman [2011] NSWSC 1024 - Brink's Australia Pty Ltd v Kane [2007] NSWSC 62 - Cactus Imaging Pty Ltd v Peters [2006] NSWSC 717; (2006) 71 NSWLR 9 - Crawley v Short [2009] NSWCA 40; (2009) 262 ALR 654 - Curro v Beyond Productions Pty Ltd (1993) 30 NSWLR 337 - Dalysmith Corp (Aust) Pty Ltd v Cray Personnel Pty Ltd (Supreme Court (NSW), Young J, 14 April 1997, unrep) - Ecolab Pty Ltd v Garland [2011] NSWSC 1095 - Electricity Generation Corporation v Woodside Energy Ltd [2014] HCA 7; (2014) 251 CLR 640 - Hannamax Hi-Tech Pty Ltd v O'Donnell [2001] NSWSC 634 - ICT Pty Ltd v Sea Containers Ltd (1995) 39 NSWLR 640 - Idameneo (No 123) Pty Ltd v Angel-Honnibal [2002] NSWSC 1214 - Jardin v Metcash Ltd [2011] NSWCA 409; (2011) 285 ALR 677 - John Fairfax Publications Pty Limited v Birt [2006] NSWSC 995 - Koops Martin Financial Services Pty Ltd v Reeves [2006] NSWSC 449 - Miles v Genesys Wealth Advisers Ltd [2009] NSWCA 25; (2009) 201 IR 1 - Nordenfelt v Maxim Nordenfelt Guns and Ammunition Co Ltd [1894] AC 535 - Orton v Melman [1981] 1 NSWLR 583 - Pearson v HRX Holdings Pty Ltd [2012] FCAFC 111; (2012) 205 FCR 187 - Pet Tech Pty Ltd v Batson [2013] NSWSC 1954 - Portal Software International Pty Ltd v Bodsworth [2005] NSWSC 1115 - Provida Pty Ltd v Sharpe [2012] NSWSC 1041 - Red Bull Australia Pty Ltd v Stacey [2011] NSWSC 1212 - Saltec Pty Ltd v Donnelly [2015] NSWSC 1496 - Sea Containers Ltd v ICT Pty Ltd (Supreme Court (NSW), O'Keefe CJ Comm D, 27 October 1994, unrep) - Seven Network (Operations) Ltd v Warburton (No 2) [2011] NSWSC 386; (2011) 206 IR 450 - Sidameneo (No 456) Pty Ltd v Alexander [2011] NSWCA 418 - Tullet Prebon (Australia) Pty Ltd v Purcell [2008] NSWSC 852; (2008) 175 IR 414 - Vision Eye Institute Ltd v Kitchen [2014] QSC 260 - Willis Australia Group Services Pty Ltd v Griggs [2012] NSWSC 659; (2012) 222 IR 172 - Woolworths Ltd v Olson [2004] NSWCA 372 Texts Cited: - J D Heydon, The Restraint of Trade Doctrine (3rd ed 2008, LexisNexis Butterworths) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Veda Advantage (Australia) Pty Ltd (Plaintiff) Kevin de Beer (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: P Braham SC/B Curtin (Plaintiff) A Bell SC/K J Williams (Defendant)