01
Defence of Tort Claims
Defence of tort claims — motor, employer-liability, occupiers' liability, professional negligence — at the subordinate courts and the High Court.
Disputes & Resolution
Tort & Insurance Law
Defence of tort and insurance claims for corporate clients and insurers, with negotiated settlements where they make sense.
Dx
- Acting for
- Insurers · Corporates
- Forums
- High Court · Subordinate courts
- Style
- Defence-led · Settlement-aware
Overview
How we approach tort & insurance law.
We are instructed by corporate clients and insurance companies to defend tort and insurance claims across the western circuit and nationally. The work spans motor, employer-liability, professional negligence, and general tort claims, with a steady emphasis on closing matters at the right value rather than at any cost.
Where the matter calls for a written opinion rather than a defence, we provide one — coverage opinions, policy interpretation, and the views insurers and corporate clients need to take decisions on disputed claims.
Services
What we cover in tort & insurance law.
02
Defence of Insurance Claims
Defence of insurance claims for insurers, including coverage disputes and quantum-driven defences.
03
Insurance Legal Opinions
Coverage opinions, policy interpretation, and written opinions on disputed insurance positions before formal defence is committed to.
04
Negotiated Settlements
Quiet, partner-led settlement of tort and insurance claims — closing matters at defensible value rather than at trial cost.
05
Subrogation & Recovery
Recovery actions on behalf of insurers — subrogated claims, recovery from at-fault third parties, and the supporting litigation.
06
Appellate Work
Appeals from tort and insurance judgments to the High Court and the Court of Appeal where the matter justifies them.
Approach
The way we run a tort & insurance law matter.
A four-step discipline applied to every brief, so the work is senior-led at the points where senior judgement matters, and moves predictably between them.
File Review
Pleadings, policy, and supporting documentation reviewed; quantum and liability mapped against the realistic outcome range.
Strategy
Defence strategy agreed with the client — full defence, partial defence, or early settlement — with written advice on the trade-offs.
Conduct
Pleadings, evidence, and hearing preparation run with senior involvement at each contested stage.
Settlement or Judgment
Settlement closed cleanly with releases on file, or matter prosecuted through to judgment and any onward appeal.
FAQs
Questions clients ask about tort & insurance law.
The ones we hear most often. For anything specific to your matter, a short call is usually the fastest way to an answer.
All firm FAQs →Yes. The firm is instructed by a number of insurers on defence work and on legal opinions touching coverage and policy interpretation.
Often, and often we should. Many tort and insurance claims are best closed by negotiated settlement at defensible value. We assess the settlement question at every major inflection point in the matter.
It varies. Straightforward matters can resolve in 6–12 months; contested liability and quantum disputes run longer. The firm's average across contested matters is around eight months from filing to resolution.
Yes. We act for insurers in subrogated recovery — recovering paid claims from at-fault third parties — including the supporting litigation through to judgment and execution.
Related Practice Areas
Adjacent counsel from the firm.
Tort & Insurance Law Counsel
Speak with a partner about your tort & insurance law matter.
We will tell you, plainly, whether we are the right firm, and how we would propose to handle it. The first call is confidential and at no charge.