Carrie Rome-Sievers

Re Kasbah Moroccan Imports (VIC) Pty Ltd (administrators appointed) – Federal Court – March 2019 – adjournments of a winding up application obtained on behalf of the administrators to allow creditors to consider a DOCA.

Unnamed case – Public examinations conducted in the Federal Court in December 2018 and February 2019.

Northway Panels (Vic) Pty Ltd & Ors v Adrian John Warry and Shane Leslie Deane (as joint receivers and managers) and Admiralty Drive Pty Ltd [2018] VSC 581 – 24 September 2018 – an urgent injunction application to restrain receivers from acting on their appointment and seeking a declaration under s 418A of the Corporations Act that their appointment was invalid. Successfully resisted for the receivers.

ASIC v Realestate Equity Investment Trust – Federal Court proceedings – July-September 2018 – advising and providing written submissions on behalf of a non-party claimant regarding an equitable secured interest in the property of a managed investment scheme, arising under a musharakah agreement.

Re Cameron Lane Pty Ltd (in liq); Playaround Pty Ltd v Peter Robert Vince [2018] VSC (14 August 2018, unreported decision of Efthim AsJ) – an appeal by a creditor from a liquidator’s decision to reject a proof of debt, by way of application under s 90-15(1) of Schedule 2 of the Corporations Act. Successfully resisted for the liquidator.

Re Mamounia Pty Ltd (in liq)(No 3) [2018] VSC 65 – an application by liquidators of a  trustee of a trading trust for directions. A sum of trust funds was held by solicitors under a general possessory common law lien, and questions are as to its application in payment of the solicitors’ fees. Due to the nature of the common law lien, the solicitors’ right was merely a passive right to retain the sum, without a power to pay themselves the fees owing by the insolvent client on multiple files. There was doubt as to the liquidators’ power to direct payment, arising by virtue of the then principle in Re Amerind (before it was overturned on appeal on 28 February 2018) that a trustee’s right of indemnity was property of the trust, not the trustee. Power was sought for the company as a bare trustee to be conferred under s 63 of the Trustee Act.

Re Bendigo Central Pharmacy Pty Ltd [2017] VSC 419 – an application to set aside a statutory demand. Key issue was the Graywinter principle, and whether the plaintiff had a genuine dispute raised in the 21 day affidavit expressly, by necessary inference or by available inference.

Apollo General Engineering (Aust) Pty Ltd (in liq) & Ors v Culve Engineering Pty Ltd & Ors – County Court and Supreme Court of Victoria proceedings (2013-2017) – insolvent trading, uncommercial transactions, subrogation. Pre-trial applications include to dismiss for want of prosecution, and to substitute the executrix of the deceased estate of the third defendant as a party following his death, to defend the insolvent trading claims. The latter was appealed to Robson J – Re Apollo General Engineering (Australia) Pty Ltd (in liquidation) [2016] 533– which decision went to the Court of Appeal –  Curve Engineering Pty Ltd & Ors v Apollo General Engineering (Aust) Pty Ltd (in liq) [2017] VSCA 182 (with Jim Peters QC).

Re Makan Brothers Pty Ltd (in liquidation) [2016] VSC (unreported decision of Robson J) – contested application on behalf of the Liquidator brought under s 483(1) of the Corporations Act for delivery up of funds of the Company to the Liquidator. For a review of the key principles and leading authorities on s 483(1) applications see here.

The Presbyterian Church of Victoria Trusts Corporation v Anstee & Ors (No 1) [2016] VSC 297, The Presbyterian Church of Victoria Trusts Corporation v Anstee & Ors (No 2) [2017] VSC 102 and The Presbyterian Church of Victoria Trusts Corporation v Anstee & Ors (No 3) [2017] VSC 520 – a complex charitable property trust dispute involving breaches of trust and questions of proprietary remedies and tracing. It has also involved several legal professional privilege disputes one of which may be found at The Presbyterian Church of Victoria Trusts Corporation v Anstee & Ors [2014] VSC 426 (with Michael Shand QC).

Nelson v Ji [2015] FCCA 3573 – a bankruptcy dispute in which the client trustees in bankruptcy claimed an interest in the marital property by way of a Cummins v Cummins constructive or resulting trust, trial adjourned.

Yeo v Weeden [2015] VSC 156 – a bankruptcy dispute involving issues of trustees’ powers and alleged abuse of process (with the Hon Donnell M Ryan QC).

Rescom Asia Pacific Pty Ltd v Reapfield Property Consultants Pte Ltd [2014] VSCA 92 – Court of Appeal – appeal from the dismissal of an application to set aside a statutory demand (leading A L Kinda).