Tech billionaire Richard White has been entangled in court proceedings against former Labor Party Leader Mark Latham, who has been accused of a sustained pattern of abuse by his former partner.
The matter appeared before the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney on Wednesday, after Latham’s ex, Nathalie Matthews, filed an application for an apprehended violence order.
Latham has denied Matthews’ claims, saying he had “broken no laws.”
Matthews, Latham, and White were not present for the mention on Wednesday.
Latham’s legal team, led by his lawyer Zali Burrows, plan to file individual subpoenas against White and Matthews as part of his defence against her application, the court was told.
Richard White is the executive director and founder of WiseTech Global, a technology company providing logistics software for transport providers.
The subpoenas were opposed by White and Matthews’ lawyers.
Lawyer Nicholas Olson sought to apply for the subpoena to White to be set aside, or for there to be a suppression order over its contents.
Magistrate Susan Horan ordered the parties to submit relevant written material before the matter returns to the court on Sept. 10.
White stepped down as WiseTech’s chief executive in October after allegations including bullying, misuse of company funds and failing to disclose close personal relationships to the board.
A company-ordered review cleared him a month later.
Latham sits as an independent in the NSW upper house and has faced calls to resign over sexually explicit messages allegedly sent to his former partner while sitting in the parliament chamber.
The state government plans to call for an inquiry into Latham over unrelated alleged abuses of parliamentary privilege in August.
The federal Labor caucus has agreed Latham’s official portrait will remain in its Canberra party room, but with a caption providing context about the former leader’s departure from the party.
The words underneath the portrait will read: “In 2017 Mark Latham was expelled from the Australian Labor Party and banned for life. His actions do not accord with Labor values and fail to meet the standards we expect and demand.”
Latham lost his bid for the nation’s top job at the 2004 federal election as former Liberal Prime Minister John Howard secured a final term.
In a separate legal dispute, the Federal Court in 2024 ordered Latham to pay independent MP Alex Greenwich $140,000 in damages over a homophobic social media post.
