The Snitch: Rolex dragged into high-society court battle

Why has watch giant Rolex been dragged into a high-society court case? Which lawyer forgot to tell the Law Society about his sexual harassment issues? And which Sydney artist is in trouble? The Snitch is here.

The secret business operations of luxury watch giant Rolex are at risk of being dragged into a court case between two eastern suburbs linked businessmen.

The Snitch has been told there will be a legal argument over whether the $13bn dollar company will have to produce the material.

A subpoena has been issued to the company in the NSW Supreme Court battle between high-profile jeweller James Kennedy and Benjamin Scott, a pawnbroker, TV producer and close friend of Fadi Ibrahim.

Scott is suing Kennedy after relations between the pair — which stretch back to their days as private school boys — soured over their partnership in the Amazon Prime show Luxe Listings, which charted the fortunes of Sydney real estate agents.

He has alleged in court documents that Kennedy went behind his back to arrange secret product placement of Rolex watches in the show.

Formerly longstanding friends Ben Scott and James Kennedy.

Rolex has been subpoenaed to the case. Picture: Supplied

Consequently, we’re told Scott’s side has fired a torpedo-sized subpoena at Rolex HQ demanding to know if they were involved in such a deal.

We would expect that the subpoena would want to see marketing strategies and all manner of communications between Rolex and Kennedy.

According to court records, team Kennedy has lodged a notice of motion that is to be argued in court on Monday.

It’s left Snitch wondering if Kennedy or Rolex will be resisting the subpoena, which will mean there will have to be a detailed argument about it in court.

We put questions about this and what they plan to do in court to Rolex’s Australian-based finance and administration manager Jorden Braddy, but he did not respond.

So we’ll have to wait and see what happens in court on Monday.

Grab the popcorn. Put in the mouthguard. Should be a cracker.

Kennedy at his luxury items store LK Boutique in Melbourne.

OH YEAH, THAT

North Coast lawyer Owen Hughes has been sent for a spell on the sidelines after he forgot to tell the legal licence police about his sexual harassment issues.

The NSW Law Society refused to renew Hughes’ practising certificate after he neglected to mention when filling out his forms explaining why he was a fit and proper person that he had been found to have sexually harassed a staff member.

Owen Hughes outside court in 2019. Picture: AAP

You’d think he would have remembered, because the Federal Court ordered him to pay the woman $170,000 in damages in 2019.

The details come courtesy of the Office of the Legal Services Commissioner, which recently added Hughes to its hall of shame, also known as the Register of Disciplinary Action.

The Federal Court heard he repeatedly emailed the woman seeking a romantic relationship, subjected her to unwanted hugs, and twice sprawled on her bed during a work trip to Sydney.

The solicitor also forgot to tell the Law Society about a reprimand handed to him by the NSW Legal Services Commissioner over the scandal.

He also got busted for “False and misleading practising certificate applications in 2017 and 2018”, trust account irregularities, a 2020 bankruptcy and other issues.

As a result, the Council of the Law Society found he was “not a fit and proper person to hold a practising certificate.”

Anthony Lister at his exhibition Culture Is Over in 2019. Picture: Damian Shaw

ON THE LIST

Anthony Lister appears to be following a well-worn path of exceptionally talented artists who live troubled lives.

The well-known contemporary and street artist, whose exhibitions have been displayed internationally, has booked a couple of court dates for alleged criminal offences.

The 44-year-old is listed to face the Downing Centre Local Court on July 29 to answer to charges of driving with drugs in his system, contravening an AVO and hindering police.

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