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).
Nevin is a dispute resolution expert with over 30 years of legal experience. He specialises in government regulatory work and administrative decision making. He also has extensive experience in insurance backed litigation claims extending from professional indemnity – doctors, directors and lawyers to toxic torts, public liability, personal injury, aviation incidents and coronials. Nevin’s experience with government clients has provided him with insight to the various stakeholders...
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...
Michael is highly regarded for his corporate and commercial law expertise with a particular focus on financial services, insurance, reinsurance, capital markets, health and medical defence mutuals. Michael advises insurers, futures and commodities dealers, non-bank financial institutions, broking houses, health funds, health and medical service providers, medical defence mutuals, medical indemnity insurers and reinsurers. He regularly deals with regulators such as ASIC, APRA, Treasury, ASX an...
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...
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,...
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...
Melissa Fenton is a partner in the insurance team at Colin Biggers & Paisley. Melissa has been a litigation lawyer for over 20 years and has extensive experience in litigation and dispute resolution, professional indemnity and general liability claims acting for insurers and professionals in a variety of different fields. Melissa has experience in defending both large scale litigation and small claim matters, acting for an array of professionals, including architects, engineers, surveyors...
Michael has practised exclusively in the area of accident compensation for over 25 years. He has extensive experience in all areas of insurance litigation; however, in recent years has devoted his time to practising in the area of motor vehicle accident compensation. He is highly regarded by his clients and colleagues across the insurance industry. Over the course of his career, Michael has acted for private and government CTP insurers, WorkCover Queensland and public liability insurers. Mich...
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...
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...
Michael is generally recognised as a leading insurance silk taking briefs to advise and appear in all Australian jurisdictions. He has broad experience of all major classes of insurance and reinsurance, with particular expertise in financial lines, general liability, property and business interruption claims. His advisory practice includes advising many leading brokers and insurers that service Australian markets. He is known for his depth of understanding of major classes of insurance and hi...
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...
Phil is the Managing Partner of the firm’s Perth office. He has extensive experience in insurance litigation, especially in the areas of professional indemnity, product liability and public liability. Phil has acted on insurance matters since being admitted to practice in 1994. He has extensive experience and expertise in insurance litigation, especially in the areas of professional indemnity, public liability and product liability matters. Phil's experience includes: Defending complex ...
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.
Bill has been a legal practitioner for over 30 years specialising in personal injury law including motor vehicle accidents and public liability, workers compensation, medical and dental negligence, and historical child sexual abuse cases. His practice also includes commercial litigation in the ACT courts involving insurance and professional indemnity issues, building and contract disputes, and employment matters. Bill’s straightforward manner complements his extensive experience and kno...
Susie McNeil was called to the Queensland Bar in March 2007. She has been named in Doyle’s Guide as one of Queensland’s leading building and construction counsel for the past 9 years, from 2017 to 2025, and one of Australia’s recommended building and construction counsel for the past 8 years, from 2018 to 2025. From 2024, Susie was named in the 17th Edition of The Best Lawyers in Australia for her expertise in commercial law, insurance law and litigation. In the 2026 Edition...
Ian has broad experience across diverse jurisdictions and areas of law with a specialisation in commercial litigation, building and construction, and insurance law. He also has experience in professional negligence claims, leasing disputes, and personal injury. Ian is recognised by his peers in The Best Lawyers in Australia list in dual fields of litigation and insurance law. His broad experience, including his regularly acting for both plaintiffs and defendants, enables him to provide a bala...
Penny specialises in conducting insurance and personal injury litigation claims for insurers. With more than 25 years of experience, most of her current practice involves acting on behalf of major insurers in the areas of motor vehicle personal injuries, public liability, industrial diseases and property damage. Penny has worked in insurance litigation since commencing her legal career in 1995. She is the youngest lawyer to be appointed to the legal panel of the Insurance Commission of Wester...
Simon is a highly experienced litigator, having practiced for over 27 years in the CTP, workers' compensation, recovery and liability jurisdictions. He is a partner in the NSW Statutory Insurance team which acts for major insurers and self-insurers in the defence of workers' compensation claims, work injury damages claims, motor accident and public liability claims. Simon has been appointed a District Court Arbitrator, is an Accredited Specialist in Personal Injury Law and is an active member...
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...
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...
Zara has practised insurance law and litigation in NSW for over 20 years. Before joining Holman Webb as Special Counsel in 2010 Zara was Special Counsel at Henry Davis York. Zara is experienced in a broad range of insurance practice areas including medical negligence, coronial inquiries, administrative review and disciplinary proceedings, injury liability, property and commercial claims, marine insurance and defamation. Her current focus is in professional indemnity, medical negligence and di...
Cameron joined the firm in 2009 as a partner and has over 20 years’ experience in public liability, product liability, professional indemnity, contractors all risk, property and industrial special risk insurance and self-insurance. Cameron also has experience in dust diseases, intentional torts arising out of child sexual and physical abuse and bullying, commercial litigation and building and construction litigation. Cameron provides pre-contractual advice in relation to insurance polic...
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.