Chris Frawley

Chris’ client, a steel manufacturer in Thailand, had entered into a contract with a local business for the supply of steel. That contract was supported by a Standby Letter of Credit, providing security to the local entity. Following provision of the Standby Letter of Credit, our client became aware that, wrongly, the local business intended to call upon the Standby Letter of Credit. As a result, Chris commenced urgent Supreme Court proceedings and obtained an injunction preventing the local business from accessing the letter of credit. Also, subsequently obtained judgment for a monetary amount and freezing orders against the various defendants. By taking swift action to prevent the client being prejudiced, Chris was able to achieve a very positive outcome for the client in a reasonably short space of time.

In acting for a vendor of a sale of business, Chris initially defended a claim in the Supreme Court for alleged breach of various restraint provisions. By cross claim on behalf of the clients, the clients claimed payments for deferred consideration under the sale of business agreement. In adopting a strategy of vigorously defending the claim and bringing a cross-claim, Chris was able to negotiate a settlement of the proceedings on terms advantageous to our clients, including a significant payment to the client.

Chris acted for a well-known chef in a copyright dispute with his former publisher. The client commenced Federal Court proceedings over the issue of the publisher’s entitlement to make compilation works of previous titles published by the author and alleging misleading and deceptive conduct. The proceedings were subsequently settled in favour of our client, with the publisher admitting it had engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct and agreeing to pay the client compensation for breach of copyright.

Chris’ client, an electrical services contractor, was involved in a dispute with various lighting suppliers over the supply and installation of an LED lighting system in a commercial premises in Sydney’s CBD. After the client was initially unable to resolve the matter, Chris commenced proceedings in the Supreme Court, obtaining compelling expert evidence in support of the client’s claim that the lighting system was defective. The matter settled at mediation on the basis of a significant payment of compensation to the client, thereby vindicating their position in pursuing the matter.

Chris acted for a number of clients who had purchased residential units from a developer which subsequently went into administration and then liquidation. The liquidator proposed to ignore the binding contracts for sale and to resell the properties to new buyers. Our clients had already paid most the purchase price of the units and released the deposits to the developer. Chris maintained proceedings against the liquidator to preserve the original sale and ensure our clients acquired the properties and were given credit for the money they had already paid to the developer. In complex Supreme Court proceedings involving claims of competing interests in the land, Chris obtained judgment in favour of our clients, ordering the sale to be specifically performed, and obtained costs orders against the liquidators. One of the matters was appealed to the Court of Appeal where, again, Chris obtained a successful outcome for our client, together with a cost order against the unsuccessful party.