Insurance and Corporate Risk

For a law firm, we do insurance differently. The McCullough Robertson Insurance and Corporate Risk Group is unique in the Australian legal market. Our team combines extensive hands-on insurance industry experience with legal knowledge.

With experience in transactional, corporate, compliance work and dispute resolution, we advise public and private corporations, insurers, and brokers.

Our advice covers everything from customising policies to suit clients, interpretation of terms, conditions and exclusions, to advice on risk management solutions and claims. Our knowledge extends across every class of insurance including Public and Product Liability, ISR, Contract Works, Property, Professional Indemnity, D&O, Workers’ Compensation, Marine and Aviation.

Significantly, we developed Australia’s first series of technology insurance policies for a large American insurer and have drafted policies for other international and Australian insurers. Additionally, we have been instrumental in drafting specialist insurance policies which have been introduced into the insurance market, e.g. Occupational Health and Safety Liability/Environmental/Statutory Liability.

The Insurance and Corporate Risk Group also provides the following services:

• we design programs considering policy coverage, indemnity, and deficiencies, and ensure legislative compliance, including FSR obligations, APRA and the Insurance Contracts Act
• via our own product, Insurance Heath Check, we regularly review corporate insurance programs, taking into account all insurable risks and highlighting existing and future requirements. We remove the pressure felt by executives by ensuring their business risks and exposures are properly covered given Directors’ and Officers’ liability policies now require confirmation that a company has appropriate insurance
• we develop and implement ‘contracting pillars’ which are the rules of engagement our clients adopt to recognise and understand their contractual obligations and insurance coverage parameters. The process enables uninsured risks to be recognised and managed, and an understanding of a client’s contractual, legal and insurance obligations and exposures to be developed
• we manage claims in a range of classes for corporate insureds with high policy deductibles
• we act exclusively for corporate insureds in policy coverage disputes for all policy classes including ISR, D&O, professional indemnity and heavy machinery
• we conduct worker’s compensation appeals for contentious claims involving allegations of bullying, discrimination and the handling of performance management issues by employers

Complementing the expertise of the Insurance and Corporate Risk Group, the firm has created a wholly owned insurance broking practice, Allegiant IRS, to serve the insurance broker needs of our clients and work alongside our lawyers providing an integrated legal/insurance broker service offering. This has led to the development of innovative insurances for the firm’s clients, not currently offered in the Australian insurance market.

We understand that insurance is about protection for both now and the future. We are here for the long haul.

To find out more, contact Brad Russell and Stephen White.

Experience