Coffee and a Case Note

This is probably my favourite podcast to appear on as a guest! Another great discussion with Jordan and Nathan about life, branding, Drake v Kendrick, hourly rates, touch football results, and how to chart a principled path in professional services. Enjoy! You can find Jordan's and Nathan's pod here: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/challenge-the-standard-in-financial-advice/id1725733771 Nath...

As part of a series of three talks together, James d'Apice recently joined eminent senior junior barrister Jonathon Dooley of Greenway Chambers to discuss the law of Corporate Oppression. This is Jonathon's and James' first talk about the big ticket items when advising your shareholder clients whether they want to *stay* or whether they want to *go*. The three talks they gave on this t...

"You need to show good faith to sue on the Co's behalf!" ___ A sought to bring a derivative suit on behalf of TCo. TCo was trustee of a trust. A was a principal benef of the trust: [3] Pursuant to the trust deed, absent a resol from TCo the trust’s income would be paid to the trust’s principal benefs: [3] From 1988 to 1994 A was a director of TCo: [3] Broadly, as former director A so...

“Repay that tax refund into the trust!”___P was a Unit TeeCo incorporated by D1. D3 (whose sole dir and s/holder was D1) was the sole unitholder. D2 was D1’s spouse: [1] - [3]D1 incorporated P to buy a valuable piece of land (“Property”). P borrowed the funds from Lender for that: [4]After completion, D1 caused P to lodge a BAS. The resultant refund of ~$2.6m was paid to P: [5]P sued seeking repay...

“You can’t run that claim. You’ll expose the Co to a cross-claim!” ___ P sought, among other things, s236 leave to sue D on the Co’s behalf for $110k: [2], [3] P held 70% of the shares in the Co, and an entity related to D held 10%. The Co was no longer active: [4], [10], [25] The issue was: D caused $110K to be transferred from the Co to one of D’s entities and P said there was no authorisation f...

"Pay the trust's funds to the estate!" ___ A Tee was the trustee of a trust with about $2.8m in assets. The trust had two beneficiaries, Spouse 1 and Spouse 2: [2], [8] Spouse 1 died in 2014 bequeathing their estate entirely to Spouse 2: [2], [11] The Tee lost the trust deed: [2] While general law dictated some of the terms of the trust, having lost the trust deed the Tee has no certainty about th...

“Hey! You can’t transfer your shopping centre stake to them!” ____ Two contracts governed the relationship between co-owners of a large, suburban shopping centre: [1] In 2012 the co-owners were P as to 50%, and two other entities in the same group for 25% each: [2] The arrangement contained rights regarding share transfers; the breach of which allowed the non-breaching party to automatically buyou...

“The partnership’s book is a liability, not an asset!” ___ A and R operated an insolvency practice in partnership. Like many such businesses, it would build up “WIP” in a matter and that WIP would be paid (or not) over time: [3], [4], [6] The business was profitable: [49] In September 2014, A ended the partnership electing to go out on their own with most of the business’s book of work: [7] - [10]...

"Is it the tree that's held in trust, or just the fruit?" ___ The Ps came to Court arguing that one D - a trustee, DTee - held shares in the other D, a Co, on trust for the Ps: [1], [3], [4] The Ps further sough for the shares be transferred to the Ps: [2]The Co’s defence essentially put the Ps to proof - a “non admission”: [5] DTee took a more expansive approach: [5] - [8] After particulars of it...

“We need to *wind up* the trust and sell the farms!” ___ The Ps and the Ds each owned 50% of the units in a unit trust: [1] TCo owned substantial real property - farms. The Ps sought to have the trust ended and distribute the assets. The Ds took the opposite view: [5] The Ps said: 1. there was an agreement or estoppel that if one party wanted to exit, the assets would be sold; 2. the trust deed al...

In August 2024 James was invited to appear on Glover Lane's ESG podcast, 'What Keeps You Up At Night?' This interview traverses Gravamen's journey to becoming a firm that tries to live its values by donating $1,000.00 per month to charity; and reflects on what the future might hold. It's also a great primer for anyone hoping to understand ESG a little better. You can find Rebec...

“Some of these debts are trivial… do I still have to pay the really small ones?” ___ 2,653 clients deposited money with a Co, who was a trustee. Only 74 of those beneficiary clients had a balance worth over $100: [2], [3] A liquidator, P, was appointed to the Co: [1] P approached the Court seeking advice as to whether (i) the benefs with a <$100 balance could be treated as having no right to pa...

“Bring the company back from the dead so we can go to Court!” ___ P approached the Court to seek the reinstatement of a deregistered Co: [1] In 2010 the Co was incorporated. Shortly afterwards P and D1 - who were siblings - were the 2 Dirs and 2 equal shareholders: [4], [5] P said that at about this time P and D1 agreed the Co would purchase some property, each funding 50% of the purchase, each ow...

“Valuation is art not science; so let the partnership’s receiver sell it.” ___ 10 partners - 5 family members and their spouses - planned to run a blueberry farming and forestry business on land owned by the partnership: [2], [5] 8 partners, the Ps, sued the other 2, the Ds: [3] In 2007 the partners purchased the Property and entered into a deed: [4], [6] The deed required that forestry profits an...

“You changed the business I sold you so you could underpay me!” ___ By deed P sold their shares in an online retail business to D.P was to receive $20M, some shares in D, and the Earn Out Amount (“EOM”): [3] According to the deed, the EOM was the Base EOM of $10M plus the Additional EOM: [6] The Additional EOM was the rounded difference between the Base EOM (I.e. $10M) and “Earnings”: [7] “Earning...

“Our parents’ citrus farm is a partnership asset!” ___ Two siblings in partnership, P and D, ran a citrus farming business, having received it from their parents in the 2000s: [1] (P, the parents’ exec, sought access to the parents’ privileged documents after death. As exec, P could waive privilege, however doing so was for themselves and not in the interests of the estate or benefs. Noting an exe...

The most fun James has ever had guesting on another podcast! There's laughter, James' advice for how to enjoy Drake, there's more laughter, and there's also some depth as James, Jordan and Nathan reflect on what it means to be progressive (and to question some of the central tenets of capitalism) while also doing financial and corporate work. A wonderful chat - James just hopes he...

In April 2024 James sat down with Roger Christie, MD of Propel, to talk about the use of LinkedIn for building a legal practice (but it's extremely interesting and includes James having to take a pause because Roge has said something pretty moving and insightful). You can catch the Digital Reputation Podcast here: https://propelgroup.com.au/podcast/

Gaaaah! James got to be the first ever private practice lawyer on Mel Storey's incredible in-house counsel themed podcast, Counsel! This pod was recorded IMMEDIATELY after James launched his firm Gravamen at the Happy Lawyer Happy Life retreat in November 2023. Grab yourself a mimosa and enjoy this incredible chat. A link to Mel's podcast is here: https://www.counselpodcast.com

“Give me back my job selling diamonds!” ___ A Co that sold diamonds and jewellery had 4 shareholders, entities related to the Co’s directors who were P1, D2, D3, and D4: [1], [9] P1 and their sibling, P2, were fired by the Co from their roles as CEO and sales director respectively: [3] The Ps (including P1’s shareholding entity) sued alleging the Co’s conduct was oppressive to P1 and seeking inter...

James got to sit down for a chat about his progression through the world of legal practice with the legal Amogh Kadhe, of the ChatterMatters Podcast in early 2024. Please enjoy! You can find the ChatterMatters LinkedIn page here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chattermatters-podcast/?originalSubdomain=au

“I’ve retired as a partner. I want market value with no discounts!” ___ In 2018, 4 Cos entered into a partnership agreement. The business related to growing and selling tea: [1], [5] P retired from the partnership. The agreement provided that the partnership would not be dissolved on a partner’s retirement: [2] The question was: what value should P receive for its partnership stake? P argued for,...

“You tried to kick me out of the law firm partnership!” ___ A partnership operated a law firm. A deed governed the partners’ relationship. The partners were either fixed draw (“salaried”) partners or (often more lucrative) capital partners: [1], [2] Each partner was a trustee of a separate trust: [2] P was a capital partner, purportedly expelled from the partnership in November 2020: [5] P said th...

In March 2024 James had a chat with Josh Lawlor and Monica Walmsley from the Personal Branding Unlocked podcast. It's a wide-ranging chat that features James' views on his own branding *journey* with some lessons you can apply in your practice. You can find the PBU pod here: https://www.personalbrandingunlocked.com.au/

“Compensate the company. Then pay that money to me!” ___ P, a former shareholder, sought to bring a claim on behalf of the Co and then have the proceeds paid to themselves: [1] - [3] s237(2)(a): the Co was not going to bring the claim itself: [8] s237(2)(d): the Court considered (i) whether the pleaded case could be proved, and (ii) if so whether that would ground the relief sought: [12] When prac...