Nicole Wearne

Nicole is a highly regarded insurance specialist and litigator with over 30 years’ experience handling complex commercial disputes and providing insurance defence and coverage advice.

Her practice focuses on professional indemnity, management liability, D&O and class action defence, including securities, consumer and major torts class actions. Nicole also has strong Royal Commission expertise having acted for clients in the Hayne Royal Commission, the Aged Care Royal Commission and 2009 Black Saturday Bushfires Royal Commission. She also advises on regulatory investigations, fidelity matters, trade credit and commercial disputes, and has acted in high profile matters before the High Court of Australia, Full Federal Court and appellate courts in NSW and Victoria.

Nicole primarily acts for Australian general and life insurers, London market underwriters and reinsurers, and government departments and agencies. She also advises corporate clients, particularly in the infrastructure sector.

Clients trust Nicole with their most difficult and complex matters. She is known for leading large scale multiparty litigation, her formulation of legal strategy and being accessible and responsive to client needs.

Nicole is listed in the ‘Hall of Fame’ for insurance law in Australia by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, and is recognised as a leading individual in Australia by Chambers & Partners, Legal 500 and Best Lawyers, with clients noting her “as an exceptional partner for large high stakes litigation” and having “an incredibly capable pair of hands.”