Page 13: Date set for corporate trial of the year over Australian Open TV rights

In a stoush set to be hotter than centre court in January, Justice Jonathan Beach has set the date for the corporate cop’s trial against former Tennis Australia director Harold Mitchell.

Break out the strawberries and cream for the corporate trial of the year.

In a stoush set to be hotter than centre court in January, Justice Jonathan Beach set the date for the corporate cop’s trial against former Tennis Australia director Harold Mitchell.

Mitchell has categorically denied allegations by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission that he and former TA president Steve Healy “withheld material information from the Tennis Australia board” to help Seven win the TV rights.

Healy also denies the allegations.

It kicks off on November 4 (thank God, the US Open will be done by then!) and is set for three weeks.

Harold Mitchell. Picture: Aaron Francis

To say there’s an army of lawyers involved is like saying Waterloo was a minor tiff.

In Mitchell’s corner is Victorian bar president Matthew Collins QC and Gilbert + Tobin, while Healy has Neil Young QC and Herbert Smith Freehills.

Here’s hoping for some Nick Kyrgios- style chair throwing.

With all that legal firepower, Friday’s 9.30am case management hearing at room 6A of Victoria’s Federal Court was a rather staid affair.

ASIC let it be known it will have about a dozen witnesses.

Justice Beach told ASIC to have all evidence lodged with the court by close of business on August 16.

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We were intrigued by ASIC saying one of the witnesses was overseas until July, hence the holdup in speaking to them all.

With so many jetsetters involved in this case we salivate as to who it could be.