As judgment is expected tomorrow in a court battle between a group of Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) partners and their former colleagues who quit for White & Case, the documents from case reveal how the group quit, and what HSF wants to do to restrain them.
A group of 167 HSF partners took action in mid-February against eight former partners who resigned from HSF to join White & Case, including key project finance partner Brendan Quinn. The case has been heard in the New South Wales Supreme Court before Justice Robert McDougall this week, with HSF wanting to stop the White & Case partners from joining on their planned start day – tomorrow (2 March) and instead have them join on 1 September this year. At issue is whether certain clauses in HSF’s partnership deed are enforceable.
