Peter Craney

Partner | Sydney, Australia
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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 contributed to the writing of Kennedys' 'Global forecast 2025: Negotiating the interconnection of evolving risks' report, published in February 2025.

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.
Chambers Asia-Pacific 2025

Related articles

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16/06/2025

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Kennedys maintains leading insurance and shipping rankings in Chambers Asia-Pacific 2025

12/12/2024

Case review

Australian Sanctions Update - Illegality, Force Majeure and Step-In Rights

08/03/2024

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Qualifications and admissions

Qualifications

  • Bachelor or Law & Diploma of Legal Practice | University of Newcastle | 2010
  • Bachelor of Forensic Science | University of Newcastle | 2008

Admissions

  • Supreme Court of New South Wales | 2010
  • High Court of Australia | 2010

Industry

  • Committee Member and Treasurer of Sydney marine Discussion Group (SMDG)
  • Maritime Law Associate of Australia and New Zealand, New South Wales Branch (AMLAANZ)

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

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.

Services

Sectors