Ahern & Anor v Aon Risk Services Australia Limited [2020] NSWDC 159

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Ahern & Anor v Aon Risk Services Australia Limited [2020] NSWDC 159 Hearing dates: 22-24 April 2020 Date of orders: 01 May 2020 Decision date: 01 May 2020 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Abadee DCJ Decision: See paragraphs 126-129 Catchwords: COSTS – assessment – review by costs review panel – propriety of costs review panel undertaking re-assessment on review – whether failure to give reasons, or adequate reasons amounts to decision on a matter of law to found right to appeal – selection of hourly rate for different members of plaintiffs' legal team – relevance of conception of 'proportionality' – determination of negotiation and assessment costs Legislation Cited: Legal Profession Act 2004 (NSW), ss 285, 364, 365, 375, 380, 384, 385 Legal Profession Regulation 2005 (NSW) rr 128, 134 Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Regulation 2015 (NSW), cl 59 Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 75A Cases Cited: Aesthete No 3 Pty Ltd ACN 127 464 966 v Gilmore Finance Pty Ltd ACN 104 792 627 and Anor [2018] NSWDC 1 Bellevarde Constructions Pty Ltd v CPC Energy (2011) 12 DCLR (NSW) 304 Bobb v Wombat Securities Pty Ltd (No 2) [2014] NSWCA 261 Cassegrain v CTK Engineering [2008] NSWSC 457 Dunn v Jerrard & Stuk Lawyers [2009] NSWSC 681 eInduct Systems Pty Ltd v 3D Safety Services Pty Ltd [2015] NSWCA 284 Frumar v The Owners of Strata Plan 36957 (2006) 67 NSWLR 321 Khorramdel v RG Macaulay and A Saivanidis trading as Pryor Tzannes & Wallis Solicitors [2016] NSWDC 293 Oshlack v Richmond River Council (1998) 193 CLR 72 Randall v Willoughby City Council [2009] NSWDC 118 Skalkos v T & S Recoveries Pty Ltd [2004] NSWCA 281 Wende v Horwath (NSW) Pty Limited [2014] NSWCA 170 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Mr M Ahern (First Plaintiff) Ms E T Clancy (Second Plaintiff) Aon Risk Services Australia Limited (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Ms M Castle for the Plaintiffs Ms J McDonald for the Defendant