Justine has leading expertise in financial lines insurance, having worked both in house and in private practice in Australia and London, acting as both defence and coverage counsel. She specialises in claims against professionals including accountants, solicitors, engineers, stockbrokers, financial planners, real estate agents, insurance brokers and valuers.
Justine also acts for clients in the areas of:
- directors’ and officers’/management liability, including defamation;
- institutional abuse;
- workplace health and safety including incident response, police and regulator investigation, prosecutions and subsequent appeals;
- statutory liability and investigations: including with respect to investigations by disciplinary and regulatory bodies;
- inquiries including Commissions of Inquiry and Royal Commissions;
- employment practices liability;
- general liability including personal injury, property damage and product liability; and
- risk management including advice on coverage, insurance and indemnity clauses and insurance risk management for events and day to day operations including for not for profit organisations.
Justine enjoys the challenging nature of insurance work and is adept at managing the sensitive issues at play where a professional or organisation has its reputation at risk.
Justine has been consistently named as a pre-eminent professional indemnity lawyer in Doyle’s Guide and has been named in Best Lawyers for insurance Law since 2019 and Professional Malpractice Litigation since 2020.
Justine has been on the committee of the Australian Insurance Law Association (WA Chapter) since 2013 and sat on the National Board until May 2019. Justine has held the office of President of the WA Chapter (2019-2021), Treasurer (WA Chapter), head of the national education portfolio and member of the national financial lines subcommittee.
Articles and Presentations
Presentation to LawSense School Law WA 2023 – Business Management, Risk & Governance Stream, June 2023
Presentation on psychological risks, July 2022
Legalwise seminar – Law for School Business and Finance Managers – Use of school facilities by others November 2019, September 2020
Presentation to insurers – Insurability of fines and penalties in Australia, 2018
Presentation to insurers – Fundamentals of D&O insurance, 2018
Legalwise seminar – Developments in Directors and Officers Liability Insurance, 2018
The Australian Consumer Law – beyond misleading or deceptive conduct, 2018
Cladding, combustion and construction risks — the implications of deadly tower fires — (2017) 14(8) CL 110
Legalwise seminar – Considerations in insurance for directors and officers, 2017
Presentation to international insurers – Financial and professional lines in Australia. What’s the difference?, 2016
Recovery from insurers under the s 601AG of the Corporations Act – the importance of the insurance policy terms and conditions – Smart v AAI Ltd/ JKR Realty PtyLtd v AAI Ltd (2015) 12(6) CL 101
When Will Advocates’ Immunity Apply to Work Outside of Court? – Case Note; Donnellan v Woodland – (2013) 9(8) CL 109
Joinder of insurers, a balancing of the scales – The Owners – Strata Plan 62658 v Mestrez Pty Ltd (2012) 9(6/7) CL 88
