28 Mar 2023
The court enforced the parties' contractual agreement to costs on a solicitor and own client basis and declined to interfere with that agreed basis on discretionary or public policy grounds, following Bank of China and related authority.
4 May 2010
The court held that solicitor and own client costs should not be ordered inter partes except in wholly exceptional cases; this case did not meet that high threshold, so the proper order was to tax the costs of the taxation proceedings to the defendant on an indemnity basis with a certificate for counsel and to set aside the Master's solicitor and own client order.
12 Aug 1999
When taxing solicitors' bills under Rule 179 the Registrar may reduce hourly rates agreed between a liquidator and his solicitors if those rates are not reasonable for payment out of the company estate; the estate will only be charged amounts the Court considers proper and reasonable (agreements bind the client but do not fetter the Court's power to scrutinize payments from the estate).
25 Jul 1989
The bill of costs of solicitors employed to assist the Official Receiver is to be taxed on a solicitor and own client basis because the solicitor's client is the company in liquidation; therefore the Master's reduction was incorrect and the agreed rate of $2,100 per hour was not unreasonable and must be reinstated.
25 Jul 1989
The court held that non‑contentious solicitor costs incurred in a liquidation are to be taxed on a solicitor and own client basis because the solicitor's client is the company in liquidation; the agreed hourly rate of $2,100 was not unreasonable in the circumstances and the Master's certificate must be varied to reinstate that rate.