O’Connor v O’Connor [2017] NSWSC 1648

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: O'Connor v O'Connor [2017] NSWSC 1648 Hearing dates: 21 September 2017 Date of orders: 30 November 2017 Decision date: 30 November 2017 Jurisdiction: Equity - Commercial List Before: Parker J Decision: Summons dismissed Catchwords: Equity – fiduciary relationships – company director – prospective sale of company – where persons claiming to be shareholders had been excluded from management of company and surrendered claims in return for lump sum payment – whether fiduciary duty of disclosure owed Civil Procedure – preliminary discovery – production of documents concerning negotiations leading to acquisition of company – applicants' entitlement to disclosure – Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 5.3(1) – whether discovery may be given of documents relating only to quantum Legislation Cited: Uniform Civil Procedures Rules 2005 (NSW), rr 5.3(1), 21.7(1) Cases Cited: Age Company Ltd v Liu (2013) 82 NSWLR 268; [2013] NSWCA 26 Brunninghausen v Glavanics (1999) 46 NSWLR 538; [1999] NSWCA 199 Coomber v Coomber [1911] 1 Ch 723 Dowling v Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society Ltd (1915) 20 CLR 509; [1915] HCA 56 Farah Constructions Pty Ltd v Say-Dee Pty Ltd (2007) 230 CLR 89; [2007] HCA 22 Garth Barnett Interior Design Pty Ltd v Ellis [2009] NSWCA 193 Hatfield v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd (2010) 77 NSWLR 506; [2010] NSWCA 69 Morton v Nylex Ltd [2007] NSWSC 562 Pacific Equity Partners Pty Ltd v Kerwick [2017] NSWSC 1302 Williams v Spautz (1992) 174 CLR 509; [1992] HCA 34 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Morgan Benedict O'Connor (First Plaintiff) Michael Stack (Second Plaintiff) John Joseph O'Connor (First Defendant) Diona Pty Ltd (Second Defendant) Calibre Group Ltd (Third Defendant) Representation: Counsel: B DeBuse/I Chatterjee (Plaintiffs) L Gor (First Defendant) H Mann (Second and Third Defendants)