Read a roundup of activities around the AILA-NZILA branches

Northern Territory

NT kicked off the year with ICPS Australia’s CEO Brad Nicholls and major loss manager (Qld/Vic) Luke Comacchio highlighting the complexities of managing large property losses.

ICPS Australia was involved in the rebuild of Brisbane apartment complex Cathedral Place, which was severely damaged by fire in 2013.

The Brisbane-based engineering consultancy has also just completed work on a $20 million claim after storm damage at Brisbane’s BOC Gas complex.

ICPS Australia helped BOC relocate to temporary premises while initial work was conducted at its Rocklea site and then oversaw the rebuild.

Thanks to ICPS Australia and its business development manager Mike Quinlan for making the seminar a success.

NT hosts the Geoff Masel memorial lecture on 21 June when Queensland Supreme Court Justice Martin Daubney will present on the topic: Whatever happened to Atticus Finch? Reflections on contemporary issues in legal professional ethics.

The committee has two more speakers planned for the year; details soon.

South Australia

AILA SA’s Committee for 2016 is:

Nigel Wilson (president), Barrie Datson (treasurer), Craig Lind (secretary), Matthew Davis, Scott Duell, Emma Harman, Anthony Hillary, John Homburg, Mark Keam, Julie Kinnear, Tara Maschotta, Adam O’Reilly, Dylan Steel, Lucille Stewart and Hayley Towers.

For 2016 there is a series of interesting seminars and events and from 12-14 October 2016 AILA SA hosts the “game changing” AILA 2016 National Conference.

Highlights for 2016 are:

The first breakfast seminar on 14 April was a sell-out. John White, from Mitchell Chambers, gave an interesting and practical presentation on Declination of indemnity.

Western Australia

The WA branch has had a strong start with record numbers for its March and April seminars.
 
Seminar attendees had the benefit of grappling with Travelling S54 with a Western Australian road map, presented by Geoffrey Hancey; and Toxic torts, presented by past AILA national president David McKenna.
 
WA’s 11 May seminar was Conclaves & hot tubs: Success or failure?
 
A sundowner on the Federal Court Insurance List was a great success on 2 April at Clyde & Co, Perth.
 
WA can expect a mix of its traditional breakfast seminars during the year.
 
Keep your eyes out for AILA’s WA social event; details to be released soon.

Queensland

Queensland hosted the Insurance Law Masterclass 2016 in Brisbane for the first time on 20 May 2016.

In April, Queensland held a breakfast seminar hosted by Grant Thornton with Nicholas Andreatidis, barrister, on expert evidence which examined some ways expert evidence can make or break a case from a practical perspective, including considering expert evidence in the Grantham Flood Inquiry (read the full story here).

Queensland is hosting Swift connections, a networking event specifically aimed at young insurance professionals, in June.

New South Wales

The NSW Branch has just hosted a series of events.

5 March: What would Bruce Willis do? Emerging risks from the ground to the air

AILA President Sue Vidler said the joint seminar with ALAANZ was a sell out. “An excellent and provocative panel presentation on emerging risks that left us all asking more questions than were capable of being answered. The speakers could individually have held an audience captivated for a full seminar,” she said. Thanks to Hall & Wilcox for hosting the event.

21 April: Lunar@Luna. AILA NSW’s Young Professionals committee held its first 2016 networking event at Luna Park, Milsons Point, Sydney. It was very popular and sold out in six days. Almost 400 YPs attended, including representatives from major insurers, reinsurers, brokers, insurance law firms and industry service providers. Between drinks and canapés, guests took rides on the famous Luna Park ferris wheel, which was exclusively available to event attendees. Lunar@Luna was sponsored by RGL Forensics, Holman Webb Lawyers, MDD Forensic Accountants, Clyde & Co, and G Hughes & Associates. 

10 May: Geoff Masel Memorial Lecture. Whatever happened to Atticus Finch? Reflections on contemporary issues in legal professional ethics

The highly successful Geoff Masel Lecture Series is now in its 11th year and was presented in 2016 by Justice Martin Daubney of the Queensland Supreme Court, who examined national and international trends in legal professional ethics, with particular focus on issues arising in insurance litigation and alternative dispute resolution.

11 May: Big data: What is it? Risk, premium impact and claims management

Presented by Ian Oppermann, Chief Data Scientist - NSW Data Analytics Centre; Gabriella Rubagotti, Barrister-at-law; and Geoffrey Campey, Senior Consultant - Sententia Discovery.

Chaired by: Eric Lowenstein, CEO, Tego Insurance

Big Data is changing the landscape for the insurance industry. New opportunities are emerging as risk is re-assessed and claims management reviewed. Expert speakers presented their unique perspectives on the impact of big data in an insurance context.

19 May: YP presentation on mental wellbeing

Presenters: Jerome Doraisamy, author of The Wellness Doctrines, and Paul Meldrum, Director DC Health Performance.

The NSW final for the Ron Shorter award is on 26 July (see more details in Sue Vidler’s column).

The Twilight Seminar Series continues. Book early, as some are already sold out.

8 June – Professional liability update
22 June – Liability update
6 July – Subrogated recoveries
20 July – General insurance product disclosure
3 August – Management liability
17 August – The High Court and insurance law

Tasmania

The Tasmanian Branch had an excellent start to 2016.

Phillip Jackson SC presented to more than 60 people on 14 April about whether a common sense approach to causation worked for new injuries under the Tasmanian legislation. Numbers were double expectations, requiring a late venue change.

The presentation was well received; thank you to Mr Jackson.

The annual Geoff Masel memorial lecture was on 12 May. 

A half-day workers’ compensation masterclass is scheduled for 19 August. Speakers include Justice Stephen Estcourt, of the Tasmanian Supreme Court, and Chief Commissioner of Tasmania’s Workers’ Rehabilitation and Compensation Tribunal Steve Carey.  

Professor Rob Merkin will present on 13 September and the Tasmanian committee is finalising arrangements for a Unisearch presentation on expert conclaves on 9 November 2016 (date TBC).

Victoria

AILA Victoria has welcomed three new committee members – Sasha Jeffrey-Bailey, from Barry.Nilsson; Paul Lamb, from DLA Piper; and Alex Morell, from Norton Rose Fulbright.

Alex was inspired by his experience of the inaugural Ron Shorter Award competition in Victoria, which he won, to become an active member of AILA and hopes to encourage other young professionals to do likewise.

AILA Victoria launched its Basics & Beyond seminar series on 16 March with Clayton Utz’s Lucy Terracall presenting on Insuring clauses in public and products liability policies.  The next seminar, on double insurance, was scheduled for 25 May.

The annual insurance law seminar series kicked off on 13 April with Victorian Supreme Court Chief Justice Marilyn Warren; Caroline Kenny QC; and Norton Rose Fulbright’s Nicole Wearne speaking on CGU v Blakeley – forewarned is forearmed; Developments in third party insurers’ liability exposure; and the Federal Court  insurance list for short matters. The next seminar in the series, Hot tubbing of legal experts, presented by Unisearch, is on 22 June.

Victoria hosted the annual Geoff Masel memorial lecture on 11 May, presented by Queensland Supreme Court Justice Martin Daubney on Whatever happened to Atticus Finch? Reflections on contemporary issues in legal professional ethics.

The final of the second Ron Shorter Award for Victoria is on 19 July. Applications closed on 6 May and the excitement is mounting.