Chief Disruption Officer Pty Ltd as Trustee for the McDonald Family Trust v Michel, in the matter of Laava ID Pty Ltd (No 3) [2022] FCA 1302

CORPORATIONS – company formed by three Founders to develop and exploit a product – Shareholders’ Deed entered into between the Founders and the associated Founder Shareholders – breakdown of relationship between two of the Founders – whether the relationship between the Founders and their associated Founder Shareholders was governed by an understanding that their respective shareholdings would remain equal and which survived entry into the Shareholders’ Deed – held no such understanding established – whether there was oppression of the second plaintiff because of: (1) conduct alleged to have forced out the first plaintiff as CEO and a director of the company – held no oppression of the second plaintiff; (2) the issue and proposed issue of shares and options after the first plaintiff ceased to be involved in the company – held oppression established for some but not all of the impugned conduct

David Rayment SC and Michael Collins appeared for the First, Second, Third and Fourth Defendants.

Reasons for the decision can be found here.