'No evidence' for Palmer staffer's claim

There's no evidence to support allegations Clive Palmer reneged on a $5 million job agreement with his former resort manager, the mining magnate's lawyer says.

A Supreme Court trial involving Mr Palmer and former Palmer Coolum Resort general manager Bill Schoch ended on Tuesday with closing arguments from both men's lawyers.

Mr Palmer's barrister Simon Couper QC questioned why in 2011 the mining tycoon would offer his old accountant $1 million per year over five years, initially to be his "second-in-command", as Mr Schoch claims.

"There's not the faintest basis to think Mr Palmer would regard Mr Schoch an appropriate person for any commercial negotiating role, let alone the role as number two," Mr Couper told the court.

"It just makes no sense."

Mr Schoch did accountancy work for Mr Palmer in the 1970s and 80s and auditing for a Palmer company in the late 90s and early 2000s.

He says Mr Palmer phoned him with the job offer in June 2011 and he helped negotiate business deals before being transferred to manage the Coolum resort.

His full salary wasn't detailed in two contracts signed by Mr Schoch, allegedly for confidentiality reasons.

Now he's suing Mr Palmer and two Palmer companies for $4.6 million in damages and lost wages after he was sacked in December 2013 having been paid just $365,000.

Mr Schoch's lawyer Lindsay Bowden said his client's case was supported by the timing of Mr Palmer's job offer.

It was just after the miner's multi-billion iron ore and coal company Resourcehouse failed to float on the Hong Kong market.

Mr Palmer wanted Mr Schoch to help find another way to close the deal, Mr Bowden suggested.

"He (Mr Palmer) saw dollars still to be made, perhaps a billion or so, and in a moment of inspiration he uttered those fateful words (offering the $5 million deal) to my client, which my client accepted," Mr Bowden said.

Justice John Bond has reserved his decision.