Hodges v Waters
[2014] FCA 1343
At a glance
Source factsCourt
Federal Court of Australia
Decision date
2014-12-08
Before
Mr J, Mr JA, Perram J
Catchwords
- Number of paragraphs: 2
Source
Original judgment source is linked above.
Catchwords
Judgment (7 paragraphs)
- Pursuant to sections 33V and 33ZF of the Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) (the Act), the Court approves the settlement of the proceedings against the first and second respondents (KPMG Parties) on the terms: a. set out in the confidential Deed of Settlement executed by the Applicants, the Respondents, Wellington Capital Limited, and IMF Bentham Limited on 18 August 2014 (Deed of Settlement), being Confidential Exhibit RGJ-5 to the affidavit of Robert Guy Johnston sworn on 21 August 2014; and b. set out in the Settlement Distribution Scheme contained in Confidential Exhibit RGJ-8 to the affidavit of Robert Guy Johnston sworn on 4 December 2014. 2. Pursuant to section 33ZF of the Act, the Group Members in the schedule annexed to these orders are: a. deemed to have registered a claim in this proceeding and to be entitled to receive a distribution from any amount agreed in settlement of the proceeding; and b. to be included in a Final List of Registered Group Members which is to be filed in the Court by 9 December 2014, in an envelope marked "Confidential Final List of Registered Group Members - Not to be opened without leave of the Court or a Judge" with that list to supersede the List of Registered Group Members filed with the Court on 22 October 2014. 3. Pursuant to section 33ZF of the Act, or otherwise, Robert Johnston and Robert Wyld of Johnson Winter & Slattery be appointed as Administrators of the Settlement Distribution Scheme to act in accordance with the rules of the Settlement Distribution Scheme. 4. Pursuant to section 33ZF of the Act, the amount of $23,600 to be paid from the Settlement Sum to the Applicant, Charles Hodges, in his personal capacity, by the Administrators of the Settlement Distribution Scheme, in addition to any payment to be made to Charles Hodges as trustee of the Charles Hodges Superannuation Fund in accordance with the terms of the Settlement Deed and the Settlement Distribution Scheme. 5. Pursuant to section 33ZF of the Act, or otherwise, the Court authorises the Applicants nunc pro tunc on behalf of the Group Members as defined in paragraph 12 of the Further Amended Statement of Claim filed in the proceeding and dated 24 June 2013, other than those who have opted out of the proceeding pursuant to section 33J of the Act as of 4pm on 7 May 2014 (Group Members) to enter into and give effect to the Deed of Settlement and the transactions contemplated thereby for and on behalf of those Group Members. 6. Pursuant to section 33ZB and section 33ZF of the Act, the persons affected and bound by orders 1 to 4 are the Applicants, the KPMG Parties and the Group Members. 7. Robert Johnston and Robert Wyld of Johnson Winter & Slattery have liberty to apply for directions in connection with the Settlement Distribution Scheme. 8. Until further order, on the grounds that it is necessary to prevent prejudice to the proper administration of justice, the following affidavits, exhibits and annexures and the contents therefore be ordered confidential within the meaning of regulation 2.32(1)(b) of the Federal Court Rules 2011 and their publication and disclosure be restricted within the meaning of section 37AF(1)(b)(i) of the Act in accordance with order 9 herein: a. the documents which comprise Confidential Exhibit RGJ-8 to the affidavit of Robert Guy Johnston sworn 4 December 2014, and not be disclosed to any person other than by order of a Judge of the Court. 9. To give effect to order 8, the affidavits, exhibits and annexures referred to in that order are to remain on the Court file in sealed envelope(s) marked "Confidential Affidavit - Not to be Opened Except by Direction of a Judge of the Court". 10. There be no order as to costs in respect of the application under section 33V of the Act on 8 December 2014. Note: Entry of orders is dealt with in Rule 39.32 of the Federal Court Rules 2011.