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Best Lawyers in Australia for Insurance Law
Practice Area Overview
Insurance is a wide practice area covering a range of insurance policies, industry sectors, and areas of legal expertise.
Specialist insurance lawyers typically act on behalf of insurers in the investigation and defence of claims made against parties who hold insurance policies, and/or in providing related coverage advice as to whether the relevant insurance policy (or policies, in the case of dual insurance) responds to those claims.
Where coverage advice is required, some insurers prefer to split the role of ‘defence’ and ‘coverage’ counsel, while others will engage lawyers to perform a dual role. In the event of a coverage dispute (and therefore a conflict of interests) between the insurer and insured, separate representation is required to ensure a timely identification of the relevant issues and resolution of the dispute.
The types of policy vary widely, including for example Professional Indemnity, Medical Malpractice, Directors’ and Officers’ Liability, Management Liability, Employment Practices Liability, Statutory Liability, Cyber Risks, Crime, General (Public and Product Liability), Aviation, various Broadform policies covering a range of risks, and various policies relevant to the construction industry, such as Contract Works.
Within each class of policy are a number of sub-specialities. For example, Professional Indemnity policies are issued to accountants, barristers, doctors, engineers, financial advisers, mortgage brokers, real estate agents solicitors, valuers, and many more.
With such a broad range of policies, lawyers advising in this area require a detailed understanding of the industries in which they practice and the relevant legislation, in addition to expertise in insurance law (for example, Insurance Contracts Act 1984 (Cth)), contract law, tort (primarily negligence), and the Australian Consumer Law, and of legal practice and procedure in State and Federal jurisdictions.
Industry expertise will include a thorough knowledge of the relevant disciplines involved in the underlying conduct or transaction giving rise to the claim, to advise on the technical issues arising in the context of the applicable legal framework. This will ensure the ability to quickly identify the relevant issues and the most appropriate resolution strategy, whether by way of an early compromise, alternative dispute resolution or court proceedings and a trial.
The commercial discipline for any insurance lawyer is to be able to distil often complex technical and legal issues as quickly as possible, to enable the most appropriate resolution to be identified and achieved as cost effectively as possible for the benefit of all the interested stakeholders (insurers, insureds, and intermediaries).
Stacey has over 15 years’ post admission experience in the area of defendant insurance and personal injuries law. Her experience includes the defence of workers’ compensation, public and product liability matters with a particular focus on proactive claims management in the workers’ compensation area. She has extensive experience in representing clients at compulsory conferences, informal conferences and mediation. Stacey works closely with brokers, claims managers, underwri...
Nick’s experience spans a broad range of litigation and alternative dispute resolution processes across various state and federal courts and tribunals. Nick has a thorough understanding of the drivers of the successful resolution of complex litigation. Having held senior in house and private practice roles he appreciates the need for legal and technical excellence to be guided by the desired commercial outcome. The foundation of optimal outcomes has its foundation in a cohesive and coll...
Malcolm has particular experience in class actions, supplemented by specialist expertise in insurance, including providing coverage advice to insurers as well as acting to defend their insureds. He has an outstanding track record of achieving positive outcomes for clients by resolving their disputes in a timely and cost-effective fashion without litigation where possible, and by litigating to successful conclusions where necessary. His clients expect and receive proactive and early advice whi...
Drew has over 20 years’ experience as an insurance and commercial litigation lawyer. His area of focus has been the defence of professional negligence claims, directors' and officers' claims and medical malpractice. His commercial dispute practice includes shareholder, partnership and joint venture disputes, domestic and commercial building disputes, injunctive and declaratory relief and administrative law. Drew advises on risk management for professional service firms. Drew has been re...
John is a Special Counsel in the firm’s Insurance practice and is nationally recognised in the area of dust diseases litigation. John has over 15 years’ experience in insurance and civil litigation. John’s work involves complex legal, scientific and medical issues in the specialised field of toxic torts. He has extensive experience involving asbestos related claims, general insurance matters including property damage, negligence and motor vehicle insurance, public liability,...
John is a senior partner in our Insurance Group and a former Chairman of the firm. He runs a full-time practice that focuses on professional indemnity, directors' and officers' (D&O) liability, commercial litigation and aviation litigation. What he does John advises a wide range of professional people across the construction and financial planning industries and company directors, officers and other lawyers in defence of legal negligence claims. He is mostly retained by large Australian a...
From our Perth office, Aimee specialises in liability matters and workplace disputes. As part of her liability practice, Aimee advises clients in personal injury, medical malpractice, property damage, aviation and construction disputes. As part of her workplace practice Aimee advises her clients on workplace health and safety, redundancies, unfair dismissals, general protections and Award disputes. Aimee has achieved successful settlements at various stages of proceedings and has experience i...
Mark specialises in professional indemnity and directors' and officers' claims and has been involved in some of Australia's most notable PI and D&O claims. He also has an interest in clinical negligence claims, reinsurance disputes and cyber issues. Mark is the current chairman and a director of Lloyd's Australia Limited. What he does Mark advises insurers and insureds on professional indemnity matters, directors' and officers' (D&O) claims and cyber risk. He conducts medico-legal and...
Stephanie has over 15 years' experience in representing employers, insurers and self-insured corporations in the management and defence of a range of claims including intentional torts, property damage, pure economic loss and statutory classes of insurance. She has the day-to-day conduct of many matters and appears in the Conciliation and Arbitration Services and the District and Supreme Courts of Western Australia. Stephanie is a strong proponent of early intervention and alternative dispute...
Stanley Drummond is Adjunct Head of Superannuation & Wealth Management at Thomson Geer. He specialises in superannuation, life and general insurance, managed funds, financial planning and financial services regulation. His expertise in these areas is founded on previous roles as in-house counsel at St. George Bank, Vero Insurance, ING Australia and GE Money. Stanley is a prolific author on superannuation, insurance and other financial services topics, with articles frequently appearing in...
Michael specialises in statutory litigation in both the state and Commonwealth jurisdictions. He has regularly been included on AFR's Best Lawyers Australia list, most recently in the 2019 edition (published 2018). What he does Michael acts for employers and insurers in statutory litigation matters and provides strategic advice on minimising claims liability. He runs litigation in the AAT and Federal Court, as well as the South Australian Workers Compensation Tribunal and the District and Sup...
Maxine is a safety and disputes lawyer who works with private and public sector clients, including employers and insurers. She leads our State Compensation team in Canberra. What she does Maxine specialises in common law and statutory claims arising from work incidents, work health and safety (WHS) matters, coronial inquests, workplace behaviour and code of conduct matters. She advises on litigated and non-litigated matters, investigations and inquiries, regulatory compliance and audit, risk ...
Greg is an Accredited Specialist in Personal Injury law and has more than 15 years' experience in advising insurers and employers on state statutory classes of insurance matters and defending claims. He was listed as a Leading Workers Compensation Lawyer (Defendant) in NSW in the 2017 Doyle's Guide. What he does Greg represents insurers and employers in all aspects of claims, from providing initial advice on liability to defending claims and common law actions in the Workers Compensation Comm...
Anna is a Partner in HopgoodGanim Lawyers' Insurance practice who advises exclusively in insurance litigation, acting on behalf of major public liability insurers, workers’ compensation insurers and self-insurers, compulsory third party insurers and professional indemnity insurers. Anna has been a WorkCover Queensland panel solicitor since September 2011 and was an approved delegate solicitor from 2008. In her capacity as a panel solicitor, Anna is involved in all stages of the Pre-proc...
Kiley is a specialist insurance and construction lawyer with 20 years’ experience resolving disputes on behalf of local and UK-based insurers and private companies as well as front-end contract negotiation. Kiley is passionate about driving change at all levels so, in addition to her practice, she recently became a member of Sparke Helmore’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee. She is an advocate for bringing your “whole self” to work—with a long history in the dis...
Brooke is an established defendant insurance lawyer with over 15 years experience including general and commercial insurance, workers’ compensation, product and public liability, motor vehicle and professional indemnity. She is an experienced advisor, advocate and negotiator, who provides tailored advice and is actively involved in the insurance industry. Over the years Brooke has worked for a broad range of insurers and insureds. Her diverse claims portfolio covers workplace, construct...
Ian specialises in major and catastrophic motor vehicle insurance claims for major insurers. He advises on all aspects of motor vehicle disputes, including major/catastrophic claims, indemnity disputes, fraud and actions against third parties, including recovery actions between insurers. What he does Ian's main area of practice is representing and advising motor vehicle insurers in complex claim disputes. He has expertise in the assessment of damages and identifying strategies early for the e...
Lindsay is a market leading practitioner and legal literary author, with more than 40 years' industry experience. He specialises in professional indemnity with a focus on valuers, construction and property. Lindsay has practised in the London market since 1983, becoming one of the most high profile Australian lawyers to practise in this market. He has co-authored the second edition of Valuers' Liability and was the principal author of the Risk Management Module produced for the Australian Pro...
Terry has over 25 years' insurance litigation experience, with his past 20 years focused predominantly on advising underwriters and self-insurers in the defence of damages claims for personal injuries, property damage and financial loss. Terry has an in-depth understanding of and expertise in the Personal Injuries Proceedings Act 2002 , The Civil Liability Act 2003 and the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 . In the 2018 Doyle's Guide , Terry was recognised as leading def...
Caroline is the partner in Holman Webb’s Adelaide office and has a wealth of experience in insurance law having practiced for more than 20 years in general insurance and workers compensation. Prior to practising law Caroline was a Registered Nurse for 10 years which both extends and deepens her legal practice. Caroline’s principle areas of practice are toxic tort litigation, management liability, statutory liability, employment practices and workers compensation.
Stuart concentrates on Commonwealth statutory classes of insurance and administrative law. He is one of the firm's most experienced practitioners in these areas and has advised Commonwealth agencies on a range of issues regarding their statutory functions. He has represented clients in proceedings in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and Federal Court at the Commonwealth level, as well as in various local and state courts. Stuart is currently seconded part-time to a Commonwealth Government ...
Julian, who is named on the Best Lawyers in Australia list, has more than 26 years' experience in insurance law and expertise in casualty, liability, construction risk and products liability. Julian is also recommended as a Leading Professional Indemnity Lawyer in NSW in the 2017 Doyle's Guide. What he does Julian provides advice on large and complex building and engineering claims, claims against individuals in the corrective and detention services industries, as well as products liability c...
With more than 20 years' experience in insurance law and commercial litigation, Patrick acts for local and international insurers and large insureds, advising on complex coverage issues involving professional indemnity, D&O, management liability, public and products liability, recall expense, property and ISR, crime and cyber risk products. Patrick manages medium to large-scale claims as defence counsel and in subrogated recovery actions, and has expertise in class actions as well as regu...
Yvette is an Accredited Specialist in Personal Injury Law with more than 17 years' experience in the insurance industry. She has practised predominantly in defending statutory classes, common law and general insurance claims since 1996. She also regularly advises on liability issues. What she does Yvette advises clients on complex statutory and liability claims, property recovery claims, multiple party actions, indemnity and quantum issues, scheme-sensitive matters and complex litigation. She...
Belinda is an experienced litigator with an extensive background defending claims arising out of personal injury and fatalities, property damage, contractual liabilities and intentional torts for governments, insurers and self-insureds. She sits on Sparke Helmore's Board and also on the firm’s Diversity Committee. What she does Belinda acts in a range of public liability and property damage claims. She acts in general liability claims for catastrophic and/or fatal injuries, including mu...
Peter has more than 25 years experience in insurance and risk management, practising primarily on behalf of insurers, self insurers, underwriting agencies and claims managers in Victoria, Queensland and the United Kingdom. He has advised in respect of all aspects of insurer portfolios including: Interpreting policies and updating policy wordings to meet drafting deficiencies and changed underwriting circumstances; Advising on the effect and reach of legislative provisions, including the Insur...
Deborah has been fascinated by financial liability insurance products since she joined LawCover in 1996. After working in-house, Deborah now acts for professional indemnity and directors' and officers' (D&O) insurers in coverage and monitoring roles and as defence counsel when indemnity is not in issue. What she does Deborah typically advises on complex financial loss claims. She has experience in representing a wide variety of professionals, from real estate agents and valuers to lawyers...
Matthew has over 18 years experience in insurance litigation and specialises in defending state statutory class and common law claims arising in the challenging Australian Capital Territory jurisdiction. He regularly assists insurers and self-insurers to liaise with the ACT regulator on issues concerning the ACT scheme. Matthew is highly experienced in the defence of state statutory classes litigation and uses his knowledge to assist clients with strategic claims management in order to achiev...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.