CONTRACTS — interlocutory application by the plaintiff seeking injunctive relief against the defendant, a former employee — where defendant had established her own business and admitted to soliciting the plaintiff’s clients — where the defendant’s employment agreement included post-employment restraint of trade clauses — whether contractual obligations survived the termination of the employment agreement in circumstances where the defendant alleged that the plaintiff had repudiated the agreement — enforceability of restraint of trade clauses — balance of convenience — insufficiently strong prima facie case to justify interlocutory relief beyond undertakings offered by the defendant — orders sought by the plaintiff imprecise and uncertain — subject to undertakings to the Court by the defendant, interlocutory application refused
EQUITY — confidential information — where plaintiff alleged that defendant had retained and made use of confidential information gained during the course of her employment — where plaintiff sought injunction to enforce equitable, statutory and contractual obligations of confidence — insufficiently strong prima facie case to justify interlocutory relief beyond undertakings offered by the defendant — orders sought by the plaintiff were imprecise and uncertain — injunction refused
EQUITY — whether plaintiff should be denied relief due to unclean hands — equitable principle does not apply
TORTS — where plaintiff sought orders to prevent defendant from inducing clients to breach their contracts of engagement of the plaintiff — insufficiently strong prima facie case to justify interlocutory relief — injunction refused
Recent cases about breach of confidence
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Harlech Enterprises Pty Ltd v Beno Excavations Pty Ltd [2024] FCA 639
PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – where applicant previously worked for respondent and had access to respondent’s confidential information / intellectual property – where applicant seeks redactions to discovered documents – where parties are competing trade rivals – Recent cases about confidential information
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Energy Action (Australia) Pty Ltd v Ritson [2024] FCA 565
PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – application for interlocutory injunction purportedly restraining disclosure of confidential information – where applicant is an energy broker and respondent is a former employee – whether balance of convenience favours injunction – where substantial delay in seeking injunction – where terms of injunction are excessive, will inevitably lead to future disputation, and…
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Canview Pty Ltd v Gilmore [2024] FCA 551
PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – Application for interlocutory injunction – where the applicants contend that the respondent has misused confidential information and infringed copyright – where prima facie case established – whether balance of convenience favoured the grant of an injunction – where the form of interlocutory orders in contention – injunction granted
