Morning Brief
Your AI-generated priority briefing for the day
🧠
Good morning, Mark.
Thursday, 1 May 2026 · 7:42am · Brisbane
Active Matters
5
Items Today
2
This Week
3
Coming Up
3
Total Attention
8 items
🔴
URGENT — Do Today
2
1
MATTER 262112 · COASTAL DEVELOPMENTS
Statutory demand response due in 8 DAYS
Affidavit supporting s 459G application not yet drafted. The 21-day period under s 459G(2) is absolute and cannot be extended (David Grant & Co v Westpac (1995) 184 CLR 265). If missed, presumption of insolvency arises under s 459C(2)(a).
2
MATTER 262001 · HARTWELL v CHEN
Brief expert valuer TODAY
Disclosure list due 15 May (14 days). Without independent valuation evidence, the "contrary to interests of members" element under s 232(d) is unsupported. Recommend engaging McGrathNicol or Vincents — quotes already on file.
🟡
THIS WEEK
3
3
MATTER 262001 · HARTWELL
Forensic accountant to be briefed re dividend analysis
Quantum and oppressive conduct element — establish dividend policy departures and salary-in-lieu pattern.
4
MATTER 262089 · McKENZIE v PETTEGREE
No activity for 12 days — review file and progress
Last entry 19 April 2026. Client may be losing confidence. Recommend client update email today and progressing interlocutory steps.
5
MATTER 262001 · HARTWELL
Finalise J. Hartwell witness statement
Currently in draft. Conference required to settle and execute before disclosure deadline (15 May 2026).
🟢
COMING UP
3
6
MATTER 262001 · HARTWELL
Disclosure list due 15 May — 14 days
UCPR Pt 1 of Ch 7. Use Drafter template; ensure r 211 categories captured.
7
MATTER 262001 · HARTWELL
Mediation 30 Jun — 60 days
Court-ordered mediation; QLS-accredited mediator. Position paper required by 20 Jun (10 days before).
8
MATTER 262176 · WAVE AIR TRUST
Trust deed to be reviewed when received from client
Awaiting documents. Conflict check completed. Trusts Act 2025 (Qld) implications pending.
📅 Calendar This Week
28 April – 2 May 2026
Mon
28 Apr
No scheduled events
Tue
29 Apr
No scheduled events
Wed
30 Apr
2:00pm · Conference call — McKenzie
Thu · Today
1 May
Brief expert valuer (Hartwell)
TODAY
Fri
2 May
Draft affidavit — Coastal (self-imposed)
💼 WIP Summary
Unbilled time and trust position across the portfolio
Total Unbilled WIP
$84,720
Across 5 matters
Oldest Unbilled
$22,400
262089 McKenzie · 38 days
Trust Attention
$2,000
262112 Coastal · insufficient for next phase
Approaching Estimate
None
No s 315 disclosure required
✨
AI Recommendations
Based on your portfolio analysis at 7:42am
Based on your portfolio, I recommend:
- Prioritise Coastal — the 21-day statutory demand deadline is absolute and cannot be extended. Drafting the affidavit today leaves a 7-day buffer for review and execution.
- Send McKenzie a progress update — 12 days without contact materially risks the client relationship. A brief email confirming next steps would maintain trust without significant time investment.
- Consider a Calderbank offer on Hartwell after disclosure — merit score 7.2 with strong commercial viability (8.1) suggests a calibrated offer post-disclosure could secure favourable costs orders if the matter proceeds.
Portfolio Overview
5 active matters · Last refreshed 1 May 2026, 7:42am
⚡ Active Alerts
2 critical · 1 warning
262112 · Coastal Developments — Statutory demand response due in 8 days
2h ago
262001 · Hartwell Group v Chen — Disclosure list due in 14 days, expert not briefed
5h ago
262089 · McKenzie Industries v Pettegree — No activity for 12 days
1d ago
Active Matters
5
▲ 1 since last week
Total WIP
$84,720
▲ 12.4% MoM
Avg. Merit Score
7.5/10
— no change
Critical Gaps
7
▲ 2 since last review
MATTER 262001
Hartwell Group v Chen
Hartwell Group Pty Ltd · Plaintiff
A
Oppression · s 232
AMBER
+0.6
Phase 4 — Interlocutory4 / 8
7.2
Merit7.2
4.5
Risk4.5
8.1
Comm.8.1
✉️
Last client contact: 3 days ago · email re witness statement
MATTER 262045
Liquidator of Zenith Pty Ltd
BL acting for Liquidator (J. Stevens)
A
Unfair Preference · s 588FA
GREEN
+0.4
Phase 3 — Proceedings3 / 8
8.5
Merit8.5
3.0
Risk3.0
6.8
Comm.6.8
✉️
Last client contact: Yesterday · phone call w/ Stevens
MATTER 262089
McKenzie Industries v Pettegree
McKenzie Industries Pty Ltd · Plaintiff
B
Restraint of Trade
AMBER
−0.3
Phase 4 — Interlocutory4 / 8
6.5
Merit6.5
5.5
Risk5.5
5.2
Comm.5.2
⚠️
Last client contact: 12 days ago · relationship at risk
MATTER 262112
Coastal Developments — Statutory Demand
Coastal Developments Pty Ltd · Recipient
A
Statutory Demand · s 459G
RED
±0
Phase 2 — Pre-Litigation2 / 8
7.8
Merit7.8
6.0
Risk6.0
7.5
Comm.7.5
✉️
Last client contact: 2 days ago · email re strategy
MATTER 262176
Wave Air Trust — Appointor Dispute
Wave Air Trust · Trustee
—
Trust Dispute · Trusts Act 2025
INTAKE
Phase 1 — Intake1 / 8
—
Merit—
—
Risk—
—
Comm.—
✉️
Last client contact: Today · initial intake call
Deadline Tracker
All deadlines across all matters · Court-ordered, statutory, and self-imposed
At Risk
1
Critical deadline with gaps
In Progress
1
Work commenced, gaps remain
On Track
1
No identified concerns
TBC / Pending
2
Date not yet fixed
⏰ Critical Deadlines (Next 30 Days)
Court-ordered, statutory, and self-imposed deadlines across all matters
| Days | Date | Matter | Deadline | Status | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 9 May 2026 | 262112 Coastal | s 459G application — 21-day absolute deadline | 🔴 AT RISK — affidavit not drafted | |
| 14 | 15 May 2026 | 262001 Hartwell | Disclosure list due (Court order) | 🟡 In progress — expert not briefed | |
| 60 | 30 Jun 2026 | 262001 Hartwell | Mediation (Court order) | 🟢 On track | |
| — | TBC | 262089 McKenzie | Next directions hearing | ⚪ Not yet set | |
| — | TBC | 262176 Wave Air | Trust deed review | ⚪ Awaiting documents | — |
| 21 | 22 May 2026 | 262045 Zenith (Liq) | Defence due — s 588FA proceedings | 🟢 On track |
⌛ Limitation Periods
Statutory limitation periods — Limitation of Actions Act 1974 (Qld) and other
| Matter | Limitation | Expires | Days Remaining | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 262089 McKenzie | 6 years (contract) — s 10 LAA | 3 Jul 2031 | 1,889 | 🟢 Safe |
| 262045 Zenith (Liq) | 3 years (voidable transaction) — s 588FF(3) | 15 Sep 2027 | 503 | 🟢 Safe |
| 262001 Hartwell | 6 years (oppression — equitable) | — | N/A | 🟢 Filed within time |
| 262112 Coastal | 21 days — s 459G(2) (absolute) | 9 May 2026 | 8 | 🔴 Critical |
⚠️ Overdue Items
Internal targets and self-imposed deadlines that have passed
| Matter | Item | Due | Days Overdue | Consequence | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 262089 McKenzie | Client update | 19 Apr 2026 | 12 | Client relationship risk |
Matter 262001 · Hartwell Group v Chen
Oppression Proceedings · Supreme Court of Queensland · BS 1234/2026
Oppression · s 232 Corporations Act 2001 (Cth)
AMBER
Priority Grade A
Hartwell Group Pty Ltd v Chen & Ors
AssignedMark Harley · Principal
Last Activity28 April 2026
Last Client Contact28 April 2026 (3d)
Next DeadlineDisclosure · 15 May 2026 (14d)
WIP$18,450
Trust Balance$15,000
Litigation Phase
Phase 4 of 8 — Interlocutory
Case Ranking
Composite priority score and underlying merit/risk/commercial assessment
7.2/10
Merit
Strong evidentiary foundation
4.5/10
Risk · inverted
Moderate; lower is better
8.1/10
Commercial
Solvent client, recoverable
Composite Priority
7.4
GRADE A
Merit Breakdown
Risk Breakdown
Element Tracker — s 232 Cause of Action
Each element of the oppression claim mapped to evidentiary support
| Element | Status | Evidence | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conduct of affairs | ✓ Supported | Board minutes, emails, witness | 8/10 |
| Affairs of the company | ✓ Supported | ASIC records, constitution | 7/10 |
| Contrary to interests of members | ⚠ Partial | Share valuations needed | 6/10 |
| Oppressive / unfairly prejudicial | ✓ Supported | Dividend history, salary records | 8/10 |
| Standing (s 234) | ✓ Confirmed | Share certificate | 9/10 |
Evidence Inventory
6 items · 4 in hand · 1 critical gap · Weighted scoring per Wigmore taxonomy
| ID | Description | Type | Rel. | Reli. | Adm. | Wt. | Score | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E001 | Board minutes 2024–2025 | Documentary | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4.8 | ✓ In hand |
| E002 | Chen email re dividends 12/03/25 | Electronic | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4.3 | ✓ In hand |
| E003 | Independent valuation report | Expert | 4 | — | — | — | — | ● NOT OBTAINED |
| E004 | Witness statement — J. Hartwell | Testimonial | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3.8 | ⚠ Draft |
| E005 | Company financials 2022–2025 | Documentary | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4.5 | ✓ In hand |
| E006 | Share transfer documents | Documentary | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4.0 | ⚠ Requested |
Timeline & Key Events
Procedural history and forward calendar
15 January 2026
Instructions received from J. Hartwell — file opened
2 February 2026
Originating Application and Statement of Claim filed (BS 1234/2026)
28 February 2026
Defence received from Thomson Geer Lawyers
15 March 2026
Reply filed — joinder of issue confirmed
1 April 2026
Directions hearing — disclosure ordered, mediation date set
→ 15 May 2026 · DUE
Disclosure list under UCPR Pt 1 of Ch 7 — 14 days remaining
→ 30 June 2026
Mediation (court-ordered) · QLS-accredited mediator
→ TBC
Trial — listing application after mediation
🔍 Gap Analysis
Outstanding items by severity
Critical
Independent valuation not obtained — needed for quantum and "contrary to interests" element
Critical
Expert accounting evidence on dividend policy — not yet briefed
Warning
Witness statement J. Hartwell still in draft — needs finalising before disclosure
Warning
No authority identified for "salary in lieu of dividends" as oppressive conduct
OK
All UCPR procedural steps current
OK
Limitation period not in issue (proceedings filed within time)
⚡ What Needs to Happen Next
Prioritised by urgency · 6 open items
1
🔴 Brief expert valuer — URGENT
2
🔴 Brief forensic accountant re dividend analysis
3
🟡 Finalise Hartwell witness statement
4
🟡 Research "salary in lieu of dividends" oppression authorities
5
🟢 Prepare disclosure list
6
🟢 Prepare mediation position paper
💼 Financial Summary
WIP, billing & trust position
WIP
$18,450
Billed
$12,000
Collected
$12,000
Trust Balance
$15,000
WIP vs estimate
$18,450 / $80,000–$120,000 · 23%
✓ s 315 alert: No — within disclosed estimate. No top-up disclosure required.