Alas, it was not to be. Robert Hynes and Glenn Vassallo – respectively the “name” partner and the “rainmaker” of Brisbane-based Hynes Lawyers – suffered a fallout in July of this year that was in equal parts gigantic and mysterious. To be sure, proceedings were instituted in the Supreme Court of Queensland, with a callover held yesterday before the Chief Justice no less.
Thanks to each anonymous spy responsible for the following tip-offs we received this earlier this week:
Tip 1
Hynes partners have commenced proceedings against Vassallo
SC file number: 8397/11
TIp 2
Hynes lawyers application against Glen Vassallo listed for hearing tomorrow in SC
Tip 3
This has popped up in tomorrow’s Qld Supreme Court law list re the Hynes Lawyers split:
http://apps.courts.qld.gov.au/esearching/FileDetails.aspx?Location=BRISB&Court=SUPRE&Filenumber=8397/11
We contacted the Associate to Chief Justice De Jersey (incidentally our favourite State-based CJ ever since his Shine Lawyers “profit centre” invective) who confirmed the callover. The Associate advised us that timetabling orders had been agreed between the parties before the matter was mentioned and proferred to the Chief Justice, who made them without modification in Court. Regrettably, the Associate was unable to advise us of the substantive allegations in the dispute because the file had “already gone back to Registry”. Doubtless some sort of equitable remedy is sought, but we’ll be sure to keep you updated once we know more.
However, one thing about which we’re much more certain is Glenn Vassallo’s very swift move to establish a new law firm. We were sent the following excellent tip-off several weeks ago (thanks to the individual responsible):
It appears Glenn Vassallo has set up shop on his own as GRT Lawyers. See the Law Society record here: http://www.qls.com.au/content/ss/solicitor/25460
If you follow the link you’re taken to the following Queensland Law Society record:
Name: Glenn Vassallo
Sex: Male
Member: No
Certificate Type: Unrestricted Principal
QLS Number: 00025460
Admitted: 2000
Other Admissions: High Court of Australia
Firm: GRT Lawyers
Address: Level 18, 333 Ann Street, Brisbane, 4000
Phone: 0422 857 760
WWW: www.grtlawyers.com.au
We took a trip to Mr Vassallo’s newly launched website and the first thing we noticed was the particularisation he has given to the firm as “global resource and technology specialists”. Way to go G-Vass! Contrary to what Hynsey may now think, Vassallo’s due diligence in establishing his new firm suggests to us that he is, indeed, quite the non-dickhead. You see, in contemporary internet parlance, “GRT” signifies “great”, meaning that if Glenn Vassallo is the main partner at “Great Lawyers”, which he is, then as Mohammad Ali once said, he is “The Greatest”; just in an awesome tech-savvy kinda way that reinforces his “global technological specialisation”:
I’m The Greatest. Beat that, you Dickhead!
We’re sure this dynamic new marketing campaign will strike a chord with BrisVegan pugilists and internet geeks alike, but whether it turns a buck is another matter.You can be certain we’ll be keeping a watchful eye.
Indeed, a watchful eye is precisely what we’ve been keeping on Mr Vassallo’s civil adversary Hyney Lawyers. Funnily enough, on the topic of earning a buck, Robert Hynes made haste to fill the seat vacated by G-Vass by recruiting former Mallesons SA Carly Richardson and former Crown Lawyers senior solicitor Michael Boughey to his firm’s IT group. Again, we will be keeping a very close eye on his firm’s progress.
So, on the one hand, you’ve got Hynsey staring in the mirror and asking “Am I bigger than G-Vass?”, while on the other, you’ve got Glenn Vassallo, nostrils flared and fists pumping, also staring in the mirror, but asking “Who’s The Greatest?”.
IT”S AN OLD FASHIONED DICK OFF!
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Slight correction, Glenn’s new website is http://www.grtlawyers.com
Firm spy, the chief justice would have been the judge on the applications list the day the application was returnable, he won’t be the judge over seeing the matter. That only happens when matters are placed on the commercial list, which this one doesn’t seem to have been. So your headline is wrong.
Of course this isn’t the first partnership bust-up Hynesy has been involved in that has made its way to the Supreme Court. The firm used to be called Hartnett & Hynes:
http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinodisp/au/cases/qld/QCA/2010/65.html?stem=0&synonyms=0
The poor guy seems to struggle keeping a hold of his dick(s).
Apparently only the partners and a few select senior associates at Hynes are being told what is going on and the nature of the dispute, so will have to get info here.
Partners are having to do the leg work and without any juniors to help them are dealing directly with admin – funny stuff.
Short odds on they’re seeking an injunction re restraint of trade…
The law society record also now shows that Scott Standen has joined Glenn in his new venture, along with two employed lawyers.
Both Hynes and GRT websites both seem to claim they have done the exact same transactions for the same clients. Can’t both be right.
Apparently it’s not just Scott Standen but also another Hynes Lawyer’s corporate team member that has cossied up to Glenn at GRT
I’ve heard the Corporate team at Hynes had (pre-G-Vass):
2 x Partners
2 x Senior Associates
1 x Associate
5 x Lawyers
2 x Graduates
of which the following is left post G-Vass:
1 x new Partner (old senior)
2 x Lawyers
1 x Graduate
If I was any of the Corporate clients I would leave as well … but probably not to GRT
Well anon that is obvious isn’t it? That it is a restraint of trade? Of course it would be if they filed by way of originating application rather than commencing proceedings by way of claim!
How ridiculous they are being secretive about it when any member of the public can trot on sown to the registry and view the entire file for about $10!
just get a copy of the application and affidavits (if any) from the registry
Goooooooooo Glenn!
G should stand for great because he is!
Looks to me like Glenn is doing very well. Hynes has a bruised ego, still cannot admit he made the biggest mistake, and has to commence legal proceedings against Glenn to feel better HA HA HA! Looks like Glenn has the last laugh now.
I wish Glenn, his wife and GRT all the very best!
Team Glenn over and out!
My guess is Hynes are being secretive about it because they don’t trust all of their staff – people who may leak inside info to sites like this one.
No affidavits filed yet in support of the OA so there won’t be much on the court file to waste $10 copying, and probably nothing on the Hynes computers either. This sounds like a private laptop job away from the server.
Vassallo had the big mining clients so no doubt Hynes and co will be praying they all don’t leave.
Problem they have is Hynes and Jiear aren’t good enough litigators to do this themselves without having their hand held by expensive QCs like Sofranoff, Morrison or Couper, so it will cost them.
Surely if Glenn was innocent, he would have opposed orders?
I expect he has some reasons to consent to orders, or else “mini me” as he was called in his previous firm would have fought. He was certainly “out there” when I dealt with him a few years ago and even tried to personally pressure some people into a deal, so I expect he would dig in if he had a strong case.
Anon2 – Good on him for ignoring contractual restraints? People in earlier posts complained about his conduct. Be interesting to see how he goes in the future with staff and clients and no one to hold him back.
Suing your former partner for restraint of trade is so distasteful. It’s not like the clients are going to leave Glenn and jump back into bed with Hynes because Hynes has brought an injunction application!
Clients go where they want, the end result of this litigation will be that the clients will go elsewhere, not back to Hynes and not with Glenn. If I were a competitor, I would be seeking out those clients saying “hey come on over to our firm, no controversy over here”.
@ Confused
It doesn’t work like that. As it says in the post, the orders made were simply for timetabling: for the filing of affidavits, possibly exchange of outlines etc. Consenting to such orders is just one of those normal steps in litigation.
All I can say is that I’m so pleased to no longer work at hynes, things have gone from bad to worse since my time there!
I think if they are going to sue vasallo they should get some independent representation rather than conducting the litigation themselves, which means the solicitor running the file is too invested in the litigation and outcome personally and also detracts from their billable time doing work on a file that will never be billed and they therefore won’t make budgets!
What is clear in all of this is how poorly Hynes Lawyers have handled the matter. From the dismissal, to the notification of staff, to retaining staff, and now to retaining clients. The continued pursuit of this action only provides them with even more bad PR. Again, so so glad to be gone…
System of a Down would be pround of them…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVPsT0Mx6bY&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Court search also tells us that Glenn is fighing back – with case no. 8855/11 in the Brisbane Supreme Court.
Glize P/L ATF Vass Trust v Hynes & Higginson (another Hynes Partner) for money owing.
Grab the popcorn – should be fun.
…and he has Russells acting for him. Stephen Russell / Terry McBride are not known for being wallflowers. Hopefully Hynes will engage David Tucker, which would put the most aggressive Brisbane litigators head to head.
Why David Tucker? Why not engage their very own WARREN JIEAR?
Wait…….
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
@ CFK. What’s the bet that is exactly what will happen! Of course it would mean though that they’d have Tucker acting for them, and that’s not something you’d wish on your worst enemy.
Trivia for you – both Tucker and Cowen used to work for Russell. And McBride and Russell used to work together at ClarkeKann, before Russell got the boot from the partnership. Now Hancock, who until recently was a partner with Russell, has gone to Tucker&Cowen as special counsel.
Far too incestuous!
Warren Jiear thinks he is as good as David Tucker……
Hahahahahahaha!
Oh gawd, anyone who has worked with Vasallo (and isn’t currently employed by him) knows he’s a dickhead. and a very average lawyer.
But more importantly, who bloody-well cares?
Talk about small fish in a small pond. In fact, more like pair of poncy siamese fighting fish struggling over a cup of water.
The one thing thats obvious from all the “inhouse” comments on here is that BOTH firms obviously don’t have enough work on.
So, what’s the deal with Jiear. Had him against me and he did us.
Tucker’s recent form in the Supreme Court in the Equititrust matter leaves a lot to be desired
Haynes are terrible. As a legal service consumer, never seen worse in tech law from “specialists” – total rip off.