Profile

Peter is a Partner in Kennedys Sydney office. He is an insurance specialist with marine, aviation, casualty, professional indemnity and property experience gained across Australia and the UK. 

Peter advises on coverage disputes, acts as defence counsel, pursues subrogated recoveries and provides advice on insurance product development. His practice extends to include commercial and shipping advisory and transaction work, litigation and arbitration. Peter regularly acts for Australian, Lloyd’s, London and overseas market (re)insurers, shipping and transport companies, major airlines, and construction companies. As a registered interpreter, Peter is the first point of call for clients with claims involving a LATAM aspect or in Spanish speaking countries.

He has been published in ‘Insurance Day’, and in ‘Lloyd’s List Australia’, and is a regular presenter at industry events on emerging issues such as cyber-risks in the transportation sector.

Peter is a member of Young Shipping Australia (YSA) and the Aviation Law Association of Australia & New Zealand (ALAANZ) and is a committee member of The Maritime Law Association of Australia and New Zealand (NSW) (MLAANZ) and the Sydney Marine Discussion Group (SMDG).

Peter is very professional, very knowledgeable and a real pleasure to work with. He makes a clear effort to maintain an active presence in the market.

Market recognition

  • Up and Coming Recommended Lawyer for Shipping - Band 3
    Chambers Asia-Pacific, 2025
  • Recommended lawyer in the Leading Admiralty, Shipping and Maritime Lawyers
    Doyle's Guide 2024
  • Winner of Insurance Business 'Young Gun' for 2017.
  • Finalist for Insurance for the ‘Lawyers Weekly’ 30 under 30 Awards for 2016, 2017 and 2018.
  • Peter Craney “is really good…he provides good advice, is always very responsive and tries to find a solution.”
    The Gracechurch Report: Asia Pacific Insurance Law 2017 – Kennedys’ outstanding lawyers: Australia.

Work highlights

  • Advising an international logistics company on an urgent interlocutory application for 16 shipments from various parts of the world arising out of the administration of receivers and a claim for a possessory lien.  
  • Acting for international air carriers (including Malaysia largest airline, the second largest airline of the UAE and Singapore’s flag carrier) and their insurers as defence counsel for multiple claims for lost and damaged cargo, personal injury and baggage  claims under the Civil Aviation (Carriers' Liability) Act 1959 and the Montreal and Warsaw Conventions
  • Drafting and advising on a new general liability policy, construction consultants’ policy, environmental liability policy and in-land farm transit policy.
  • Advising and acting as defence counsel for freight forward liability insurers of a multinational freight forwarder in respect of multiple claims for damage or lost cargo and project cargo – ranging from $50K to $1.5M and providing a multi-jurisdictional advice on claims from the Hanjin insolvency.
  • Acting for insurers of a Taiwanese manufacture, and Netherlands based distributor, of bicycles parts in product liability and negligence proceedings in the Supreme Court of NSW brought by an injured party, and Australian distributors ($2M) – foreign law issues involved.