David Lee, Lee & Lyons Lawyers
President

Vice-president David Lee planned a career in the banking industry but, after graduating from university, landed a job in insurance litigation and has never looked back.

A partner at the Sydney firm Lee & Lyons, Mr Lee was NSW AILA treasurer in 2006 to 2008, has been NSW branch chair and a national board member since 2008.

He worked with a Sydney firm for 18 years before launching Lee & Lyons with Lucinda Lyons in 2002. The duo identified the changing nature of the insurance market and wanted to be niche operators in their specialist field.

Mr Lee said it was important to have a good understanding of an insurer’s business to assist them and their shareholders. "The goal is to help insurers achieve a good business result, keeping their reserving accurate and their insureds happy so they get repeat business."

He says the business community must heed the HIH lesson. A successful economy needs a successful insurance industry. Without it, the wheels of commerce grind to a halt.

Mr Lee joined AILA soon after graduating with degrees in economics and law and spent a decade on the NSW education committee. He has been a regular presenter at seminars and, in 2005, joined the NSW branch committee. When Sydney hosted the national conference in 2006, he chaired the sponsorship, finance and marketing sub-committee.

Mr Lee said AILA was a great opportunity to network, build relationships and foster education in insurance law.
In his spare time, Mr Lee is an avid student of Winston Churchill, cricket and cricket history, an active Australian Jockey Club member and enjoys bushwalking. 

David McKenna, Jarman McKenna
Immediate Past

AILA national president David McKenna began his career at the WA Legal Aid Commission as a plaintiff lawyer before moving to insurance law.

Eager to learn more about his new field, he attended the 1987 AILA conference and has been an active member ever since. He was WA chairman for six years and served on the 2004 conference committee. He was national secretary before becoming vice president in 2008.

In 2003, Mr McKenna formed his own firm, Jarman McKenna, with three colleagues from Jackson McDonald. He said it had been a great experience with positive feedback from clients. "It’s much more hands-on and I enjoy that."

He also enjoys pro bono immigration work, which he took on several years ago. The person he most admires is Perth barrister John Cameron for his defence of refugees. "I admire him and all other people helping refugees, because it's a real fight."

While he has little time to read outside legal documents, Mr McKenna enjoys music. "I have more of a jazz bent these days and enjoy Diana Krall, Melanie Gardot and Madeleine Peyroux.”

Mr McKenna spends his spare time relaxing outdoors. He is a member of a golf club and a keen cyclist. "I got into cycling through the asthma foundation and am a WA branch board member." Mr McKenna also enjoys snorkelling and paddling off the WA coast. He recently returned to yachting and enjoys sailing on the Swan River.

A passionate "foodie", he has visited Italy twice for cookery classes, honing his risotto and tiramisu skills. "I also visited Spain where I learnt to make paella and tapas – perfect with sangria." Mr McKenna is married with two adult children.

Kim Bradey, Thomsons Lawyers
Secretary

AILA company secretary Kim Bradey may have "fallen into" insurance law with her first job after graduating in 1992, but it is an area she remains passionate about. "Fortuitously, I enjoyed it," she says.

A partner with Thomsons Lawyers, Ms Bradey has lived in Melbourne since 1995, after practising for three years in her home town, Adelaide.

She manages a team of five lawyers and specialises in asbestos litigation and Comcare workers' compensation claims. She also has a general insurance practice. Ms Bradey said each area of law brought "different challenges".

Ms Bradey became an AILA board member and company secretary in 2007 and thoroughly enjoys the role. "The board's main aim is to provide high-quality insurance education throughout the country in diverse perspectives. We are also looking at a strategy to widen our audience. We try to make education available in regional areas and keep on top of what's happening globally."

In her spare time, Ms Bradey is "heavily involved in swimming", competing in national masters-level competitions. She is also learning French. "With family and professional commitments, I don't manage to fit in much more," she said.

John Fountain, Consultant Lawyer
Treasurer

John Fountain was an inaugural member of the South Australian AILA committee when the SA branch was formed in 1989. He was one of six insurance lawyers "tapped on the shoulder" to form the branch. He was then voted in as SA's inaugural secretary. Mr Fountain served continuously on the SA committee until retiring after SA's 2010 national conference.

During his long history with AILA, Mr Fountain has served as SA branch president twice, in 1991-1992 and 2001-2003, and as secretary. He joined the national board in 2001 and is national treasurer. He chaired the organising committee for SA's 2003 national conference.

Mr Fountain said he had the privilege and satisfaction of watching the SA branch grow from six to 150 people. "AILA's SA branch got off to a flying start when it was formed and it has never stopped."

AILA's relevance to insurance law has never wavered. "When AILA started, extensive insurance education, particularly of a high calibre, did not exist. AILA filled a significant gap in providing high-quality, independent education and it continues to do that."

Although most firms today provided in-house education, he said AILA's membership was stronger than ever. “Members get face-to-face connections, newsletters and assistance. But, more than that, there's a strong social networking function. This really goes to the core of AILA."

In 1993 Mr Fountain co-founded Fountain & Bonig, a boutique corporate dispute resolution firm in Adelaide. He suffered a serious illness in 2009, which saw him to retire from the firm. He continues to recover from treatment for the illness and plans to undertake some consultancy work. His professional and personal motto is: "There is a practical solution for every problem."

John and his wife, Sally, have three adult daughters. He is passionate about his lifelong hobby, photography.

Michael Gill, DLA Piper
AIDA representative

“The law is a very demanding mistress,” says one of AILA’s founding fathers, Michael Gill, who is now AIDA president.

But he is quick to point out that it is a great career. Even with no desire to practice, a law degree offers an excellent entrée into the business world, he says.

Mr Gill joined Frank A Davenport & Mant, now DLA Piper, on March 25, 1968, and he’s still there. A partner for many years and a former chairman, he now works three days a week as a consultant.

He is passionate about insurance law because it has given him “opportunities to do things I would never have dreamed of as a boy” and allowed him to develop a wide network of colleagues in Australia and internationally. The seed for AILA was sown at the AIDA 1982 World Congress, in London. Mr Gill and John Hastings were the only two Australians present. The then-AIDA president asked the pair to establish an AIDA chapter in Australia.

The first AILA seminar, in Sydney, was a sell out. Mr Gill and his co-founders then established interstate branches to ensure AILA was not seen as “Sydney-centric”. He says AILA offers “great camaraderie and great benefits to members”.

Mr Gill is proud of Australia’s insurance industry reforms, regulation and compliance. Establishing the insurance law team at DLA Phillips Fox is a career highlight, as is his involvement with the Law Society of NSW and the Law Council of Australia. He is a past president of both.

He remains chairman of the General Insurance Industry Code of Practice’s code compliance committee and was inaugural chairman of the NSW Motor Accidents Authority.

Chris Rodd, CGU Insurance
VIC

Immediate past president Chris Rodd joined the Victorian AILA committee 20 years ago and served continuously until finally retiring in 2010. His participation included a two-year term as Victorian president. Mr Rodd spent two years on the national board while he was Victorian president in the 1990s and rejoined the board in 2006.

Over the years, he has seen many changes in AILA and the industry. "I think the most exciting times for AILA and the industry are when we are involved in big-ticket items. For example, the introduction of GST, then the collapse of HIH. Through AILA I've seen the evolution of insurance law and the way the organisation has become more professional."

A lawyer by profession, Mr Rodd is CGU's in-house technical counsel and has been with the company for more than 2 years. He has held several positions, including national claims manager, and survived two consolidations, the latest in 2003 when IAG bought CGU from Aviva.

Industry rationalisation has impacted on lawyers as much as insurers, Mr Rodd says. "Rationalisation has made it a very tight, competitive market and that particularly affects lawyers involved in insurance."

Ensuring AILA tackles issues that affect insurers and lawyers is a challenge. Mr Rodd wants to see AILA's membership expand to encompass all those on whom insurance law impacts, including brokers, reinsurers, adjusters, actuaries and underwriters. He harbours a particular interest in insurance law education within the insurance industry which currently relies heavily on private law firms’ involvement.

Committee members:

John Homburg, Gilchrist Connell

AILA board member John Homburg has seen both sides of insurance law, having worked initially for a plaintiff firm and now as a principal with insurance law firm Gilchrist Connell, which he joined in May 2011. He was previously a partner at Fountain + Bonig.

He has had a long association with AILA and joined the SA management committee at the urging of SA District Court Judge Peter Herriman, then a senior partner in the firm for which he was working.

Mr Homburg has spent more than a decade on the SA committee, including five years as state president, and has been a national board director since 2007. In 2010, he had the challenging role as national conference chairman.

Mr Homburg branched into insurance law because it gave him litigation opportunities although he admits his preference now is alternate dispute resolution practices.

He is an accredited mediator. Today he works primarily in medical malpractice, with some general insurance work. He also has a growing administrative law practice acting for professionals in disciplinary proceedings.

Mr Homburg sees AILA's value in providing educational opportunities, thereby filling a gap in lawyers' professional development. "I was fortunate to start out when senior practitioners had time to spend with junior lawyers. That's not always the case now and, over the years, many law schools have dropped some of the practical subjects, including insurance law. Organisations like AILA must step up to the plate."

Mr Homburg enjoys the academic side of the law and has completed a masters degree in medical and health law at Melbourne University.

He and his family live at Strathalbyn, 55km south-east of Adelaide. Apart from renovating the family home, Mr Homburg enjoys sport and music. He swims in summer, has a home gym, is a keen guitarist and loves the blues.

Roger Sands, Talbot Olivier

When board member Roger Sands is not assisting clients through his insurance law expertise you might find him meditating in a yoga class, swimming at a Perth beach or cheering for his AFL team, the Fremantle Dockers.

Mr Sands is a partner in Talbot Olivier's insurance practice group and has more than 20 years' experience in insurance, specialising in motor vehicle, public liability and workers' compensation claims. He is a past WA president, current WA committee member and was elected to the national board during the AILA conference in Sydney in 2003.

He appears as counsel in the WA Court of Appeal, the Supreme, District and Magistrates' courts and represents clients at settlement and pre-trial conferences and WA WorkCover conciliations, arbitrations and appeals.
Mr Sands joined AILA for the education and support it offers and the networking opportunities.

When travelling for pleasure, his favourite Australian holiday destinations are Byron Bay, NSW, and Yallingup and Broome, in WA.  He has a passion for the performing arts and regularly attends concerts and stage shows. He confesses to being a "Bob Dylan tragic".

Mr Sands says his son, David, is his inspiration. David has completed university with degrees in politics and environmental studies and has an honours degree in urban and regional planning. He is a planning officer with the WA Government. "I admire my son for the balanced person he is. He's got his own way about him." Mr Sands says he would never give up "yoga, music, my lifestyle or practising law".

Robert Webster, Dobson Mitchell & Allport

Robert Webster is a director of Dobson Mitchell & Allport with more than 20 years’ experience in insurance and personal injury litigation. He was elected to the Tasmanian branch in 2002, first as treasurer and then chairman, a position he has held since 2004.

He originally thought joining AILA would be a good way to meet people in the same industry and that has proved true. “AILA’s aims are noble and educative; it’s not a political lobby group. We try to ensure the Tasmanian education program caters for the wide cross section of those working in the insurance industry.”
Mr Webster admits his music choice is not everyone's - he likes Led Zeppelin to such an extent he has every record and CD the group has issued, including bootleg versions and re-mastered discs. "I saw Jimmy Page and Robert Plant live in Melbourne more than a decade ago and loved every minute of it. I also love the crackling you get on vinyl records that just doesn't come out on CDs."

Cooking is another passion. "I like Italian food, but, living in Tasmania, you cannot go past fresh seafood, such as scallops and crayfish. It’s an essential part of my cooking regime."

Steve Knight, Dobson Mitchell & Allport

Former national president Stephen Knight has been flying the Tasmanian flag on the national board for more than a decade after establishing an AILA chapter on the apple isle in 1995.

He was Tasmanian chairman until 2002, overseeing AILA's first conference south of Bass Strait, in Hobart in 1999. He also chaired the second international conference in Tasmania in 2005.

At the national level, Mr Knight was instrumental in establishing the first AILA travelling road show, initially featuring Tasmanian Supreme Court Justice Peter Underwood, in 2003.

Mr Knight is senior partner at Dobson Mitchell & Allport, Tasmania’s largest insurance law firm and the second oldest continuously operating firm in Australia. He specialises in asbestos claims, product liability, professional indemnity, industrial accidents, and marine and fire insurance.

He is caretaker of the Knight family's 36-foot classic gaff-rigged yawl, Gypsy, which was built in 1914 from Huon pine and has been maintained in vintage condition, having been in family since 1919.

Mr Knight shares his passion for yachting by serving as chairman of the board of the Australian Wooden Boat Festival held ever second year in Hobart. In recent years, it has attracted more than 40,000 people from around the world to see 500 boats, including yachts, steamers and tugs.

Mr Knight, and his wife, Lee, live by the sea on Bellerive Bluff and spend many hours gardening. But it is seldom quiet, with two children and three step-children, aged 19 to 25, in and out of the house.

Mr Knight he is a keen member and honorary solicitor for the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania.

Nick Codd, Austbrokers Professional Services

Nick Codd has been an AILA board member since October 2009 and is making his mark, helping bridge the gap between insurance and the law.

He joined AILA's NSW liaison sub-committee in 2005-06 and soon realised there was a need for greater insurance industry participation.

He later joined the state executive and was then invited to join the national board. He remains AILA NSW industry liaison consultant.

Mr Codd has conducted various initiatives and focus groups with insurers. He assisted in developing the concept of a young professionals committee and there are now up to 400 people attending YP social networking functions.

"We are also trying to make NSW's flagship twilight seminars more insurer focused rather than just legally focused."

Originally from North Devon, in the UK, Mr Codd moved to Australia in 2004, joining Arthur J Gallagher (Aust) Pty Ltd as a senior manager to manage key clients and oversee professional risk claims.

He then became principal of Austbrokers Professional Services, which provides selected clients with high-quality advice and service on professional risk insurance.

He has a wealth of experience designing and managing complex insurance programs, including life, superannuation and employee benefits.

Outside work, Mr Codd enjoys spending time with his family - wife, Anna, and two daughters. He swims off Sydney's northern beaches, walks the dog and enjoys ocean kayak fishing.

Kate Farrell, Proclaim Management Solutions

Queensland president Kate Farrell has been involved "on and off" with the state committee for more than 15 years.

The role has been more on than off, with Ms Farrell, the mother of three sons, taking only brief breaks from the committee during maternity leave. When her eldest son, Finbarr, now 10, was a baby, she was Queensland secretary.

Ms Farrell is liability account manager with third-party claims manager Proclaim, in Brisbane. She is a qualified lawyer and an ANZIIF Fellow. Her clients are predominantly corporates with large deductibles that require under-deductible claims managed. Proclaim also manages claims for insurers, including overseas-based and niche-market underwriters.

Before joining Proclaim in 2007, she worked at Minter Ellison Lawyers for seven years in the insurance & risk management practice group. Before that, she spent six years with QBE, managing liability claims and underwriting.

It was during her time at QBE that Ms Farrell was invited to join AILA and, almost immediately, the state committee. “It’s been a big part of my life,” she said.

The Queensland committee has a tradition of trying to alternate presidents between practising lawyers and industry representatives. One key goal during her term of office is to increase the “non-lawyer” membership and participation in events. There is perhaps a perception AILA is for lawyers only, but Ms Farrell’s keen to correct that.

She also wants to encourage younger people into AILA and says Queensland is likely to follow the successful NSW format of hosting young professional networking events.

Lance Schmidt, AFA Insurance Brokers

Lance Schmidt was elected Northern Territory branch president in January 2011, but has been an AILA member since 2004.

In his new role, he hopes to highlight insurance law and broker issues specific to the NT and bring a different perspective to discussions within AILA.

Mr Schmidt has been an account executive at AFA Insurance Brokers, in Darwin, since 2007. He advises clients on insurance coverage and requirements; assists with claims; liaises with assessors; assists with contractual requirements; and helps clients with their workers' compensation insurance.

He has worked in Darwin for more than 30 years, launching his insurance career in 1981 at the Territory Insurance Office. Since 1987 he has worked as a branch manager for Vanguard/WMG, Lumley Insurance and Aon Australia.

He became an AILA member after he was recruited by Adelaide-based former long-serving AILA treasurer David Berry. The pair worked together at Aon for several years.

Mr Schmidt joined AILA to keep informed about ever-changing issues facing the industry. "As insurers and brokers, we are exposed to the law every day, so it is necessary to keep up with developments. I think membership is very applicable to our profession."

He initially thought AILA was primarily for the legal fraternity but his new role changed that mindset. "Since my involvement on the NT committee, I’ve seen AILA's relevance to the industry and would like to spread that message to my insurer and broker colleagues.”

Mr Schmidt enjoys watching his children, Justine and Lance Jr, play sport and loves travelling to Singapore with his wife, Bernadette.