Fake cigarette bid by TST rejected

A COURT order sought by TST 4-Mile Ltd to prevent Blake Dawson lawyers from representing British American Tobacco in a court case relating to the import of counterfeit Pall Mall cigarettes has been refused by the National Court.
TST had sought the order after British American Tobacco had sought court permission for declaratory and injunctive orders against TST over counterfeit cigarettes seized by PNG Customs in September 2007.
TST had argued that Blake Dawson was in possession of confidential company information and this may have been disclosed to BAT, breaching lawyer-client confidentiality.
Blake Dawson is acting for BAT in the matter.
The reason TST sought to prevent Blake Dawson was because in December 2007, TST secretary Bill Jackson had contacted Ian Shepard of Blake Dawson, expressing concern about the rumoured involvement of then TST manager Neville Seeto in alleged counterfeit cigarettes deals, and how that was damaging to TST and Tan Group’s business operations in the country.