Armstrong Strategic Management and Marketing Pty Limited v Expense Reduction Analysts Group Pty Ltd (No 10) [2017] NSWSC 16

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Armstrong Strategic Management and Marketing Pty Limited v Expense Reduction Analysts Group Pty Ltd (No 10) [2017] NSWSC 16 Hearing dates: 20 October 2016 and 5 December 2016 Decision date: 01 February 2017 Before: Ball J Decision: Plaintiffs pay the defendants a gross sum of $5.75 million in respect of the defendants' costs of the proceedings in addition to the costs which have been paid by the plaintiffs or assessed as payable by the plaintiffs to the defendants. Catchwords: PROCEDURE – costs – application for gross sum costs order – application for indemnity costs following Calderbank letter – whether offer capable of acceptance – whether to apportion costs between unsuccessful plaintiffs PROCEDURE – security for costs – whether to order partial release of security Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rule 2005 (NSW) Cases Cited: Accordent Pty Ltd v RMBL Investments Ltd [2009] SASC 248; 259 ALR 375 Armstrong Strategic Management and Marketing Pty Limited v Expense Reduction Analysts Group Pty Ltd [2011] NSWSC 704 Armstrong Strategic Management and Marketing Pty Limited v Expense Reduction Analysts Group Pty Ltd [2012] NSWSC 393 Armstrong Strategic Management and Marketing Pty Ltd v Expense Reduction Analysts Group Pty Ltd; Expense Reduction Analysts Group Pty Limited v Armstrong Strategic Management and Marketing Pty Limited [2012] NSWCA 430; 295 ALR 348 Expense Reduction Analysts Group Pty Ltd v Armstrong Strategic Management and Marketing Pty Limited (2013) 250 CLR 303; [2013] HCA 46 Armstrong Strategic Management and Marketing Pty Ltd v Expense Reduction Analysts Group Pty Ltd [2013] NSWSC 457 Armstrong Strategic Management and Marketing Pty Ltd v Expense Reduction Analysts Group Pty Ltd [2013] NSWSC 584 Armstrong Strategic Management and Marketing Pty Ltd v Expense Reduction Analysts Group Pty Ltd (No 7) [2015] NSWSC 623 Armstrong Strategic Management and Marketing Pty Limited v Expense Reduction Analysts Group Pty Ltd (No 9) [2016] NSWSC 1005 Calderbank v Calderbank [1975] 3 All ER 333 Commonwealth Bank of Australia v Estate of Late Mahmoud Slieman [2010] NSWSC 661 Degmam Pty Ltd (in liq) v Wright (No 2) [1983] 2 NSWLR 354 Grbavac v Hart [1996] VSC 37; [1997] 1 VR 154 Hamod v State of New South Wales [2011] NSWCA 375 Harrison & Anor v Schipp; Cameron & Anor v Schipp [2001] NSWCA 13 Kostov v Zhang (No 2) [2016] NSWCA 279 Miwa Pty Ltd v Siantan Properties Pte Ltd (No 2) [2011] NSWCA 344 Oshlack v Richmond River Council (1998) 193 CLR 72; [1998] HCA 11 Penson v Titan National Pty Limited (No 3) [2015] NSWCA 121 Tati v Stonewall Hotel Pty Ltd (No 2) [2012] NSWCA 124 Vieira v O'Shea (No 2) [2012] NSWCA 121 Texts Cited: G E Dal Pont, Law of Costs, LexisNexis, 3rd ed, 2013 Category: Costs Parties: Armstrong Strategic Management and Marketing Pty Limited (ACN 005 709 928) (First Plaintiff) Armstrong Consulting Pty Ltd (ACN 073 762 940) (Second Plaintiff) Kenneth Alan Armstrong (Third Plaintiff) Expense Reduction Analysts Group Pty Ltd (ACN 008 852 926) (First Defendant) ERA Insurance Services Pty Ltd (ACN 109 873 010) (Second Defendant) Expense Reduction Analysts Australasia Pty Ltd (ACN 095 591 665) (Third Defendant) Stuart Roy Michael (Fourth Defendant) Ronald Clucas (Fifth Defendant) Charles Frederick Marfleet (Sixth Defendant) ERAGICS Limited (Seventh Defendant) Expense Reduction Analysts International Limited (Eighth Defendant) Keith John Chapman (Ninth Defendant) Anthony Frederick Dormer (Tenth Defendant) Representation: Counsel: K Armstrong (Third Plaintiff in person - Leave granted to appear on behalf of First & Second Plaintiffs) EAJ Hyde with C Mitchell (Defendants)