Profile

Stephanie is a Partner at Kennedys in Australia. She has more than 20 years’ experience in insurance law, practising at a number of prominent international insurance law firms in both Australia and the UK. She is admitted to practice in Queensland, England and Wales. 

Stephanie specialises in property claims. She has particular experience handling high-value, complex first party property disputes, multi-party property liability claims, matters involving suspected fraud and professional indemnity claims, particularly against construction professionals.

Stephanie also specialises in complex coverage disputes. She has advised Australian and international insurers on a wide range of coverage issues in the context of ISR, contract works, DIC/DIL, reinsurance, liability and consumer wordings. She has a particular interest in resolving claims involving difficult personalities.

Stephanie has considerable experience handling flood and fire related claims in both a liability and coverage context. She has handled numerous claims involving catastrophic fire losses and allegations of arson, and has advised insurers on policy response, liability and recovery in the context of those matters.

Stephanie regularly acts in defence of construction professionals in complex multi-party litigated disputes.

Stephanie is a member of the Forum of Insurance Lawyers. She regularly presents to clients on a range of topical legal issues.

Stephanie also contributed to the fourth edition of Kennedys’ Global Legal Handbook, one of our most popular guides, which outlines the main legal and procedural issues that case handlers may encounter when dealing with claims across 53 jurisdictions globally.

Work highlights

  • Provided coverage advice to insurers in relation to their exposure across a number of layers arising out of the US$2 billion Seroquel class action in the United States
  • Advised reinsurers in relation to coverage issues arising in the context of multi-million dollar business interruption losses following machinery breakdowns at power stations in Jordan and Panama
  • Advised underwriters in relation to coverage and liability issues arising out of numerous agricultural and farming related losses following failures of England’s rapeseed harvest in 2009
  • Led an investigation into a suspicious fire claim and successfully alleged fraudulent arson against an insured and breach of policy conditions against the co-assured: Parker & Anor v The National Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Society Ltd [2012] EWHC 2156
  • Provided coverage advice in the context of a multi-million dollar claim following the detection of cracking and spalling on concrete pillars in a high-rise building under construction in South Australia
  • Advised London underwriters with respect to aggregation, mitigation, adjustment and liability issues following contamination and associated losses caused by multiple slurry spills from a pipeline traversing a remote cattle station
  • Provided advice to underwriters on coverage issues and hydrological evidence in numerous matters arising in the wake of the 2011 and 2022 Brisbane floods