Liprini v McIntyre [2019] NSWSC 355

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Liprini v McIntyre [2019] NSWSC 355 Hearing dates: 13-16 August 2018 Date of orders: 04 April 2019 Decision date: 04 April 2019 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Simpson AJ Decision: 1. Statement of claim dismissed. 2. Judgment for the defendants. 3. Plaintiff to pay the defendants' costs of the proceedings. Catchwords: NEGLIGENCE – Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) s 5B – identification of risk of harm – professional negligence – solicitors – whether solicitors' failure to commence proceedings before mediation exposed plaintiff to risk of harm – failure of plaintiff to identify risk of harm – no risk of harm – breach of duty – Civil Liability Act s 5D – causation

NEGLIGENCE – Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) s 5B – risk of harm – precautions – professional negligence – solicitors – whether solicitors negligent in formulating orders following mediation – whether solicitors ought to have included an order stipulating time for payment and for interest to accrue in case of non-payment – whether such an order was a precaution a reasonable person in defendants' position would have taken – whether failure to include such an order caused plaintiff's economic loss – failure of plaintiff to establish breach in formulation of orders – failure of plaintiff to establish causation

NEGLIGENCE – Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) s 5 O – professional negligence – McKenna v Hunter & New England Local Health District [2013] NSWCA 476 – no evidence of particular practice

NEGLIGENCE – advocates' immunity – whether immunity attaches to advice on settlement of litigation – whether settlement of proceedings under Family Provision Act 1952 (NSW) requires judicial determination Legislation Cited: Bankruptcy Act 1960 Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) Family Provision Act 1982 (NSW) Limitation Act 1969 (NSW) Vexatious Proceedings Act 2008 (NSW), Wills Probate and Administration Act 1898 (NSW) Cases Cited: Adeels Palace Pty Ltd v Moubarak [2009] HCA 48 Attwells v Jackson Lalic Lawyers Pty Ltd (2016) 259 CLR 1; [2016] HCA 16 Bartlett v Coomber [2008] NSW CA 100 Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Ltd v Bridge [2018] NSWCA 183 Council of the City of Liverpool v Turano [2008] NSWCA 270 D'Orta-Ekenaike v Victoria Legal Aid (2005) 223 CLR 1; [2005] HCA 12 Dobler v Halvorsen (2007) 70 NSWLR 151; [2007] NSWCA 335 Dr Allan Stephen Liprini v Kevin Liprini [No 2], unreported, 28 June 2010 Garzo v Liverpool/Campbelltown Christian School [2012] NSWCA 151 Giannarelli v Wraith (1988) 165 CLR 543; [1988] HCA 52 Heydon v NRMA Ltd (2000) 51 NSWLR 1; [2000] NSWCA 374 Hunter & New England Local Health District v McKenna (2004) 253 CLR 270; [2014] HCA 44 Kevin Liprini v Allan Steven Liprini, unreported, 10 July 2009 Liprini v Liprini [2008] NSWSC 423 Liprini v Liprini [2010] NSWCA 126 MacRae v Stephens [1996] Aust Torts Reports 81-405 Malec v J C Hutton Pty Ltd (1990) 169 CLR 638; [1990] HCA 20 McKenna v Hunter & New England Local Health District [2013] NSWCA 476; (2013) Aust Torts Reports 82-158 Pascoe v Liprini [2011] NSWSC 1484 Paul v Cooke (2013) 85 NSWLR 167; [2013] NSWCA 311 Perisher Blue Pty Ltd v Nair-Smith (2015) 90 NSWLR 1; [2015] NSWCA 90 Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW v Dederer (2007) 234 CLR 330; [2007] HCA 42 Rogers v Whitaker (1992) 175 CLR 479 Rosenberg v Percival (2001) 205 CLR 434; [2001] HCA 18 Saif Ali v Sydney Mitchell & Co (a firm) [1980] AC 198 Sparks v Hobson; Gray v Hobson {2018] NSWCA 29 The Council of the Shire of Wyong v Shirt (1980) 146 CLR 40 Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (NSW) v Miller [2015] NSWCA 320 Vincent v Woolworths Ltd [2015] NSWSC 435; [2015] Aust Torts Rep 82-215 Waverley Council v Ferreira [2005] NSWCA 418; (2005) Aust Torts Reports 81-818 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Kevin James Liprini (Plaintiff) John Eric McIntyre (First Defendant) Sandra Neryl Hale (Second Defendant) Jeffrey Edmond O'Brien (Third Defendant) Danny Kenneth Simpson (Fourth Defendant) Michael Sommerville (Fifth Defendant) Representation: Counsel: D A Lloyd (Plaintiff) A R Zahra (Defendant)