Stephanie O'Connor

Stephanie is a Senior Associate in Perth and specialises in maritime law, marine insurance, litigation and international arbitration. 

Stephanie acts for insurers, cargo interests, charterers, owners, port and terminal operators and freight forwarders in relation to a broad range of wet and dry marine and transport matters.  She advises in relation to marine cargo recovery, policy coverage, collisions and allisions, charterparty disputes, shipbuilding disputes and general marine claims /FD&D. 

Having practised in both Australia and the UK, Stephanie is adept at conducting proceedings in both the English and Australian Courts, and is well versed in institutional and ad-hoc arbitrations, including LMAA, LCIA and ICC arbitration. 

Stephanie is admitted as a barrister and solicitor in Western Australia and holds a Diploma of International Arbitration with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Work highlights

• Successfully defending English High Court strike-out/summary judgment application in circumstances where, despite limited evidence available to the claimants given the pre-disclosure stage of the proceedings, it was deemed not unrealistic that their pleaded case would succeed in circumstances where they alleged the vessel owned and operated by opponents was unseaworthy (the "Maersk Karachi" [2019] EWHC 1099 (Comm)).
• Successfully enforcing a bank guarantee on behalf of an insurer in proceedings before the Singapore High Court in a matter where the securing entity argued that the call made under the bank guarantee was invalid and/or that the right to call on the bank guarantee could not be subrogated to the insurer (Sompo Insurance Singapore Pte Ltd v Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance plc [2021] SGHC 152).
• Acting for cargo insurers in their claim against a warehouse operator for theft and damage to a cargo of new vehicles and negotiating a favourable settlement for underwriters.
• Investigating vessel ownership chain and tracing assets and securities under Panamanian flag registry to facilitate a successful associated ship arrest in South Africa for the purpose of obtaining security for international arbitration proceedings.
• Representing a buyer in LCIA proceedings where the construction of a petrochemical refinery plant and pipeline deviated from the contracted specifications, giving rise to a dispute regarding contractual interpretation of the pricing tiers under an ongoing agreement for the supply of oxygen and nitrogen.
• Acting for an oil trader in LCIA proceedings against a buyer regarding non-payment for a cargo of petroleum in the context of an apparent cyber fraud where a third party provided the buyer with fraudulent payment instructions.

Qualifications/Education

• Diploma of International Commercial Arbitration, | Chartered Institute of Arbitrators | 2016
• Juris Doctor, Law | Murdoch University | 2013
• Bachelor of Arts, Politics and International Studies | Murdoch University | 2010

Admissions

• Supreme Court of Western Australia | 2014
• High Court of Australia | 2023