Wotton + Kearney

Adam Chylek

Adam is the Head of Property, Energy + Infrastructure. He is consistently recognised as a Legal 500 key player in insurance law, and is widely acknowledged in Australia and the region as an expert in market management on major losses with parties located both locally and offshore. In Australia and internationally, Adam is noted for handling property, ISR and contract works matters in the energy, resources and power sectors, regularly managing complex market-profile indemnity disputes. He is recognised as a market leader for his work on the Christchurch earthquakes, Queensland floods, and is currently assisting the international insurance market on some of the largest, multi-billion-dollar gas and infrastructure losses in Australia. Adam is the ‘go-to’ adviser to many of W+K’s Australian, European and North American insurer and reinsurer clients operating in the mining, energy and power sectors. He also manages the catastrophe response team, which is deployed to roles throughout the region. Adam has been recognised by clients and colleagues in Chambers Asia-Pacific 2020 as “an experienced lawyer” who “practices extensively in insurance and is briefed by a lot of insurers“, and a partner with “a very strong practice in the very specialised area of property damage, which he has made his own“. Adam successfully ran the pivotal case of Ace Insurance Ltd v Moose Enterprise Pty Ltd [2009] NSWSC 724 which is now the leading Australian authority on choice of law and jurisdiction clauses in insurance policies. He also successfully ran the case of Globe Church Incorporated v Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd [2019] NSWCA 27 in the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal, striking a win for insurers on the critical timing trigger for limitation purposes under a first party insurance policy.

Amanda Beattie

Amanda Beattie is the Head of Class Actions. She is an outstanding class actions defence lawyer and commercial litigator. In class actions, she has acted for financial institutions, professional services firms and government departments, including in multiple actions being heard concurrently. Her broader litigation experience includes large-scale commercial arbitration and litigation, ASIC investigations and Royal Commissions. Amanda is known for her ability to run novel, large-scale litigation through to trial in multiple jurisdictions on any subject matter, particularly where managing teams, processes, voluminous documents and reputational risk is essential. She has particular experience in the highly regulated financial services sector and the public sector, having defended the Department of Defence, Multiplex, Westpac, Citibank, Colonial, Suncorp and NAB. Amanda has also worked in both Australia and Hong Kong, and has a passion for supporting the people around her through formal mentoring, development and welfare activities.

Andrew Moore

Andrew is the Head of Financial Lines. He has acted for insurers and their insureds for over 25 years. He has a particular focus on directors and officers liability and professional indemnity claims. Due to Andrew’s track record coordinating and managing large-scale litigation, he is often asked to advise on complex and high-value disputes. His technical expertise and ability to be both strategic and hands-on ensures he delivers favourable outcomes for clients. Andrew has been recognised since 2012 as a leading insurance and malpractice lawyer in Australia by Chambers Asia-Pacific, Legal 500, Best Lawyers Australia and Doyles. Clients comment “he’s just technically excellent” and “he provides very strong technical advice and always makes himself available.” Andrew was a member of the National Committee of the Australian Professional Indemnity Group for 15 years and plays a key role in leading conversations on future challenges facing the insurance industry. He is regularly invited by clients to present on emerging trends in financial lines claims.

Cain Jackson

Cain is the Managing Partner of Clients + Markets. He has a particular focus on high value, complex D&O, professional indemnity and financial institutions coverage and defence work. Large multi-national insurers, the Lloyd’s insurance market and ASX-listed financial services groups engage Cain for his concise, commercial and strategic advice. He has been described by industry commentators as “one of the most impressive people” operating within the insurance industry who also praise the way he handles D&O, liability and professional indemnity issues and his “huge involvement in class action matters.” Cain has acted in many high-profile class actions, including TPT v Myer, the first securities class action to run to judgement in Australia. He is currently retained by primary insurers to advise on some of Australia’s largest securities class actions as well as acting in a defence or coverage role in numerous high-profile directors and officers and professional indemnity claims.

Charles Simon

Charles is the Managing Partner of Casualty + Operations. He also works with local and international insurers and syndicates in general liability, personal injury, workers liability/recovery, property damage and coverage issues. He is recognised for his ability to manage technical and highly sensitive claims and is acknowledged as a leader by various insurers in navigating emerging risks in amateur and professional sport. His representation of a building contractor in a successful appeal to the High Court is the leading authority in Australia on duties owed by head contractors and sub-contractors on construction sites. Charles has a reputation for taking a client-focused, pragmatic approach to resolving claims. He is a keen proponent of alternative dispute resolution processes and clients praise his ability to negotiate settlements on favourable terms without recourse to litigation. Charles is a member of the firm’s board. He is currently honorary counsel to the Australian sub-group of the Lloyd’s Market Association’s Binding Authority Strategic Claims Group.

Cheryl Phillips

Cheryl has broad insurance law experience and is highly regarded for her expertise in large personal injury claims (including defending ReturnToWorkSA recovery claims), complex liability claims, CTP and dust diseases litigation. She also has expertise in product liability claims, life insurance and sensitive claims. Cheryl is known for her ability to achieve cost-effective resolutions in matters that range from volume personal injury and product liability claims through to catastrophic injury and other significant claims involving complex causation and apportionment issues. She has been listed in Best Lawyers Australia (Insurance) since 2010.

David Kearney

David Kearney co-founded the firm in 2002. The vision then was to be the pre-eminent insurance law firm in Australasia and whilst W+K has moved into aligned markets, the firm remains on track to achieve that goal. As W+K’s CEP, he leads the firm in its response to transforming insurance and legal services industries. He practised insurance law for over 25 years in most classes of commercial insurance. Recognised internationally for his expertise, David has been ranked as the only Eminent Practitioner in insurance law in Australia by Chambers Asia Pacific since 2016. The Legal 500 Asia Pacific has consistently rated David as a Leading Individual and Insurance Business Magazine has again included David in its highly regarded annual “Hot List” of key influencers in the sector. David is passionate about continuing W+K’s development as a successful legal business. In 2019, he engineered the firm’s move to a corporate structure, mindful of the investment required to succeed in a transforming market for legal services. In 2022, he led a partial sale of the business to private equity firm Straight Bat, a first for legal services in this region. Apart from the success of the firm he co-founded, David is most proud of the quality of talent which has progressed through the business to partial ownership, and of W+K’s Pro Bono and Responsible Business Program, Community Footprint.

Georgie Austin

Georgie is an experienced litigator who specialises in general commercial and media litigation, including acting for major commercial and media clients as well as the Victorian Government. She works closely with clients to protect their legal, commercial, and reputational interests and is well-regarded for her ability to project manage complex and large-scale disputes and to support clients throughout sensitive and high-profile matters. Georgie has acted in many high-profile defamation cases, including for Rebel Wilson and Grant Denyer. She provides pre-publication advice to clients including Channel 7 Melbourne, The Conversation Media Group and JAM TV Australia, as well as advising and representing clients in defamation and contempt matters. She has extensive experience in Royal Commissions, investigations and inquiries, including having acted in the Royal Commission into the Management of Police Informants (‘Lawyer X’), the Royal Commission into Family Violence, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, the Parliamentary Inquiry into the Handling of Child Abuse by Religious and other Non-Government Organisations, and the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission. Georgie also provides advice on sports law matters for clients including the AFL, directors of the AFL and other sporting clubs, and Gymnastics Victoria. Georgie has served on several community and not-for-profit boards, most recently as a director of Gymnastics Victoria.

Kieran Doyle

Kieran is the Head of Cyber + Technology. He is often the first person our local and London-based clients turn to following a cyber-attack. Kieran helps clients respond to complex cyber incidents, including matters that involve highly sensitive breaches and cyber-attacks, some of which have been widely described as “crippling” and the “most significant in Australian corporate history”. His work spans assessing and monitoring incidents, setting up and managing data breach response vendor teams, and managing cyber claims across a wide range of incidents from ransomware attacks to email compromises. As part of the cyber practice, Kieran advises on federal and state privacy law compliance and compulsory notifications. He also acts as a cyber breach lawyer for first and third party cyber risks, including defending claims against businesses and government agencies resulting from a breach. More broadly, Kieran defends IT managed service providers in professional liability matters, many of which involve cyber incidents. Kieran also has one of the largest cyber coverage practices in the market, advising insurers on the most important and significant incidents in Australia. Kieran’s work often involves incidents affecting multiple jurisdictions (including GDPR issues) and works closely with his Legalign Global colleagues. In this global role, Kieran is an active contributor to thought leadership in Australia and takes part in global panels and seminars.

Naraya Lamart

Naraya leads W+K’s Marine and Transport team and is known for her astute commercial advice in shipping and transport matters. Her experience spans casualty crisis management, ship arrests, judicial sales of vessels, cargo claims, marine insurance advisory work, logistics and chain of responsibility advisory work, and charterparty litigation and negotiation. Naraya also advises on cross-border transactions (including Incoterms, sales contracts and world trade and sanctions issues) and insolvency in a shipping context. More broadly, Naraya advises on construction and property disputes, including disputes relating to delay claims, modifications, acceleration, defects and security for payments adjudications. Naraya is an author of the Australian chapter in The Legal 500: Shipping Country Comparative Guide, 2nd edition.

Richard Leder

Richard Leder OAM is the Head of Commercial Litigation. He is a market-recognised leader in commercial litigation, personal injury, and defamation litigation and dispute resolution. He acts in many complex personal injury matters, including for the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne and other institutions in historic sexual abuse claims. Richard is considered one of Australia’s leading specialists in media law and defamation. He has acted in many high-profile defamation cases, including for Rebel Wilson and Grant Denyer. He has advised Channel 7 Melbourne for the past 30 years and is also the longstanding advisor to The Conversation Media Group and The Big Issue. Richard has worked across several Royal Commissions and inquiries into historical sexual abuse, mental health, aged care quality and, more recently, the police handling of the Lawyer X case. More broadly, Richard is a seasoned commercial litigator and has acted for many leading Australian corporates. He is also an experienced negotiator with an impressive track record in assisting clients to avoid costly litigation. Richard was awarded a medal in the Order of Australia in 2019 for his contribution to the community, including his involvement with the Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation. He sits on a number of community and NFP boards as part of his willingness to give back to the community and is passionate about his pro bono work.