Read a roundup of activities around the AILA-NZILA branches

New South Wales

SW Branch is getting back into full gear following the Christmas New Year period.

The subcommittees are busy ensuring events for 2016 are well planned.

AILA and the Aviation Law Association of Australia and New Zealand are hosting a joint event to discuss the emerging risks from the ground to air.

The topic is: What would Bruce Willis do? Emerging risks from the ground to the air

The seminar is on 15 March from 5pm to 7pm at Hall & Wilcox, Level 9, 60 Castlereagh Street, Sydney

Speakers and topics are:

David Chitty, Barrister: Safety in the air begins with safety on the ground

Mark Mackrell, Norton White Lawyers: Legal liability under the convention regimes/limitation of damages; legal liability on the ground; legal liability outside the convention/liabilities of third parties/forum shopping

Chris Mackinnon, Lloyd’s: Emerging risks and exposures, identification and scenario-based modelling; matching emerging risks with insurance solutions; challenges/opportunities

Professor Steven Freeland, Professor of International Law, Western Sydney University: Challenges facing space law due to rapid developments in technology; space sustainability - dealing with space junk.

Register at www.aila.com.au

Victoria

Early 2016 heralds a new Victorian president and committee.

Congratulations to the incoming office bearers – more details in the next issue of Resolve.

I would like to thank the 2015 committee, David Abell, Kim Bradey, Kate Devenish, George Karalis, Caroline Kenny, Ailbhe Kirrane, Michael Moutsias, Raff Pisano, Lauren Ritchie, Cameron Roberts, Oenone Ritman and John Simpson, who worked tirelessly to maintain an annual program and run a successful National Conference.

Their fantastic efforts are the reason for the Victorian branch’s success.

This year Victoria is introducing a Basics and Beyond program. There will be two presentations in 1H16 and three in 2H16, in July, September and November.

The first is in March, with Barry.Nilsson partner Nieva Connell presenting on insuring clauses in public and products liability policies. Willis’s George Karalis is the chair.

Victoria will host the annual Geoff Masel memorial lecture on 11 May. Queensland Supreme Court Justice Martin Daubney will present lecture on the topic: Whatever happened to Atticus Finch? Reflections on contemporary issues in legal professional ethics

I would like to thank those around me for all the support they provided during my term as president over the last two years and their work towards raising and maintaining AILA’s profile in Victoria.

Queensland

The Qld chapter rounded out last year with a seminar on all things ‘drones’, presented by Peter Axelrod, followed by end of year drinks (see cover story in this issue).

In 2016 the seminar program started on 25 February with a breakfast seminar entitled Watch out! Tips and traps for obtaining, using and protecting surveillance, co-presented by Jessica McClymont, barrister-at-law, and Rod Trevor, of Surveillance Central. 

Qld will, for the first time, host the Sir Ninian Stephen Masterclass in Insurance Law for 2016 in Brisbane on 20 May. The chapter has a line up of extremely well credentialed speakers and a really great program, which will soon be released.

Western Australia

The new WA committee has welcomed 2016 early by convening a committee meeting in January which confirmed the first six months of breakfast seminar topics.

The first seminar kicked off on 12 February with barrister Maria Saraceni presenting a seminar on the interplay between employment law and workers’ compensation.

The committee had one of its most successful end-of-year Christmas lunches in 2015 which featured Dr Ric Charlesworth as keynote speaker. The event was well attended and included an auction with guest auctioneer Tim Gossage.

The WA committee is excited about the opportunities that exist to develop a varied and interesting education program in 2016 for insurers, brokers and lawyers practising in the insurance industry.