SSC & B: Lintas New Zealand Ltd v Murphy - [1986] 2 NZLR 436

Equity — Tort — Misuse of confidential information — Breach of fiduciary duty — Conversion — Conspiracy — Managing director and creative director left advertising company to set up competing business taking staff and documents — Whether in setting up the new business there had been a misuse of confidential information gained while employed by the company — Whether managing director was in breach of his fiduciary obligations to the company — Whether staff had been induced to break their service contracts — Whether the taking of documents was conversion — Whether there had been an unlawful conspiracy against the company.

Contract — Breach — Employment contract — Managing director was advised that allowances were no longer to be treated as additional to salary — Whether this was a repudiation of an essential term of his employment contract — Whether managing director's termination of service without notice was justified — Whether duty of fidelity to company continued until company elected to treat the termination as discharging the contract.