Read a roundup of activities around the AILA-NZILA branches

South Australia

AILA SA’s committee for 2017 is:

Nigel Wilson (president), Barrie Datson (treasurer), Craig Lind (secretary), Scott Duell, Anthony Hillary, Mark Keam, Julie Kinnear, Tara Maschotta, Adam O’Reilly, Dylan Steel, Lucille Stewart, Hayley Towers, Eveline Rygorowicz, Leanne Larosa, Bill Conor, and Kimberley Miller-Owen.

Thank you to retiring committee members for their service – Matthew Davis, Emma Harman and John Homburg.

A series of very interesting seminars and events is organised for 2017. Highlights are (SA members please diarise the dates):

• AILA SA year launch drinks function on Friday 24 March, including the launch of the Ron Shorter Memorial Award in SA
• Four breakfast seminars at the Hilton Hotel on 6 April, 22 June, 7 September and 7 December (together with the AGM)
• Two boardroom lunchtime seminars on 25 May and 3 August
• A Young Professionals drinks on 5 May and two seminars on 15 June and 9 November

Western Australia

AILA WA ended 2016 on a high with the Year that was seminar presented by life member David McKenna, followed by a sundowner event.

The sundowner was well attended and a great way to casually end the year. AILA WA has a busy year 2017 with planning and preparing for the 2018 National Conference in Perth.

Monthly seminars kicked off on 22 February with Pitfalls, traps and dangers under the Limitation Act 2005, presented by Geoffrey Bourhill.

Queensland

Queensland kicked off the new year with the annual general insurance law review in February and the inaugural Tomorrow’s Leaders Today high tea seminar with Jane Pochon from AIG. 

There is an exciting program for the Qld Insurance Law Intensive 2017, Connecting the Dots, in Brisbane on 26 May 2017 with industry and legal speakers. Registrations are open and sponsorship opportunities are available. We hope to see a great turnout.

Victoria

AILA Victoria held 12 successful events in 2016 – nine educational seminars, two social occasions and, for the second consecutive year, the Ron Shorter Memorial Award.

The final four events of the year were:

Claims against financial advisers: Key areas of the battleground on 23 August, presented by Rob Heath (Victorian Bar), John Tesarsch (Victorian Bar) and Darryl Smith (Clyde & Co)

In conjunction with NPLA, Drunk robots, ethics & other conundrums in driverless cars & drone technology on 4 October, presented by Professor Robert Sparrow; Darren Trott (Crawford & Co); Annette Hughes (Corrs Chambers Westgarth); and Alexis Taylor (Wotton + Kearney)

Conclaves & hot tubbing: Success or failure - an overview on 8 November presented by Caroline Kenny QC; Cameron Roberts (Thomson Geer); and John Arneil (Unisearch).

Beat the rush Christmas party for young professionals and the young at heart on 30 November. The networking event was a huge success and thoroughly enjoyed by everyone in attendance.

Thank you to everyone who supported AILA Victoria in 2016 and in particular, the state committee who worked extremely hard to put the program together.

The 2017 educational program began on 15 February with Desktop technology advancements & static video surveillance presented by Coralie Young (Procare); and Kathy Sims and Anthony Callaghan (AHC Investigations).

The new committee was appointed at the annual dinner/AGM on 22 February at the RACV Club. The event was a success and very well attended. The guest speaker, award-winning journalist Adele Ferguson, provided an insightful presentation on corporate misconduct and the price of being a whistleblower.

The annual dinner has been the social calendar’s highlight for many years in Victoria and you are invited to attend in February 2018.  

Congratulations to Peter Rashleigh, of DLA Piper, who was awarded the Insurance Law Prize framed certificate and trophy by AILA National President Angus Kench. Peter’s award was announced at the October 2016 AILA National Conference in Adelaide.

AILA Victoria is well advanced with plans for 2017. Upcoming seminars are:

• Basics & beyond: The broker: duties, agency, relationship with insurer and insured (lunch-time seminar) on 8 March, presented by Michael Thompson QC and another speaker TBA
• Annual insurance law review (half-day seminar) on 27 April, presented by Ken Horsley (Minter Ellison); Andrew Sharpe (McCabes); Matt Ellis (Norton Rose Fulbright); and Chris Brierley (HWL Ebsworth).

New South Wales

AILA NSW will roll out a busy and diverse offering of events and seminars in 2017. 

The NSW committee is Clare Branch (chair), Stephen Brooks, Robert Crittenden (liaison chair), John Dillon, Stanley Drummond, Chris Ehlers (treasurer), David Gerber, Ray Giblett, Linda Hamilton, Renae Hamilton (YP chair & secretary), Angus Kench, David Kearney, Mohinder Kumar, Paul O’Brien, Ruth Parker, Andrew Sharpe, Andrew Thomas, Susan Vidler, Shona Wilde (education chair) and Nicholas Zambetti. 

The education program kicks off with the annual general insurance law review on 24 March 2017, presented by Ray Giblett, Andrew Sharpe, Chris Brierley and Chern Tann. Peter Mann is chair and Derek Martin, moderator and industry commentator. 

The Twilight seminar series starts on 24 May with Financial lines & transaction risk.

The education, YP and liaison committees will roll out their own seminar series this year. Planning for the legendary YP social events and the ever-expanding Ron Shorter Memorial Award are in progress.

AILA NSW is proud that Law for insurers will be conducted nationally, in an offering tailored expressly for the insurance industry.