Climate statements and personal exposure: a D&O guide to the liability landscape

By: Raisa Conchin, Jacques Jacobs, Amanda Beattie and Zoe Jones At a glance In 2026, climate‑related statements entered the mainstream of directors’ and officers’ liability. This fourth article in our climate series focusses upon the personal liability landscape for D&O arising from climate-related statements and disclosures, including the new statutory sustainability reporting obligations under Chapter […]

New $10 million environmental fines: What dairy farmers and SMEs need to know

By: Neil Beadle and Finlay Watson What has changed? New Zealand’s Resource Management Act’s new maximum fine of $10 million for corporate offenders has attracted significant attention.1 For large corporates, the message from New Zealand Parliament appears clear. What was once a $600,000 maximum fine has become $10 million. The intent is plainly to expose serious […]

Ward v Endeavour Coal Pty Limited: Key Implications for Insurers and General Liability Law

By: Lesley Woodmore and Janice Wong Ward v Endeavour Coal Pty Limited [2026] NSWSC 557 The decision of Cavanagh J in Ward v Endeavour Coal Pty Limited [2026] NSWSC 557, handed down on 22 May 2026, represents an important development in the law governing liability in labour hire arrangements, non-delegable duties of care, and the […]

From global trends to regulatory reality: regulatory and risk implications of climate change

By: Amanda Beattie, Charu Stevenson and Zoe Jones Overview In the first two articles in this series (here and here), we examined the rapid expansion of climate-related litigation globally and traced how those international developments are reshaping the Australian litigation landscape. Climate litigation is no longer confined to environmental approvals or public law challenges, but […]

Another first for the Victorian GCO regime: Varying a Group Costs Order

By: Amanda Beattie, Jonathon Ferraro and Madeleine Wright Byrnes v Origin Energy (No 2) 2026 VSC 97 Another first for the Victorian GCO regime In a judgment delivered by Justice Waller on 11 March 2026, the Supreme Court of Victoria determined the first application to amend a Group Costs Order (GCO) pursuant to s 33ZDA(1) […]

Climate litigation in Australia: History, developments and strategic trends

By: Amanda Beattie, James Clohesy and Zoe Jones At a glance This is the second article in our series examining climate change litigation and forecasting emerging trends in the Australian market. Our first article surveyed the global litigation landscape and identified key themes that will shape future disputes. This article turns to Australia, outlining the […]

Vacant roles not required: High Court shifts test on redundancy obligations

By: Laura Gavan and Kirsty Easdale Helensburgh Coal Pty Ltd v Bartley [2025] HCA 29 The High Court of Australia has recently clarified the scope of an employer’s redeployment obligations where an employer seeks to defend an alleged unfair dismissal on the basis of genuine redundancy. In Helensburgh Coal Pty Ltd v Bartley [2025] HCA […]

A new chapter of leadership for our Property, Energy and Infrastructure team

Wotton Kearney is pleased to share some important news about the leadership of our Property, Energy and Infrastructure team, effective 1 July 2025.  After eight years of leading the team, Adam Chylek will be stepping into a new strategic role within the firm. Under Adam’s guidance, the team has grown significantly, expanded into emerging markets, […]

Finalists announced in Wotton Kearney’s Turning Point competition

Wotton Kearney is delighted to announce the five finalists of the 2024/25 W+K Turning Point competition. The 2024/25 competition, which was launched in July, threw out a challenge to the insurance industry’s most creative and progressive thinkers to outline their idea for a white paper that explores and leads the next generation of ideas in […]

Rushing the Australian transition to renewable energy adds risk for all players

Following Australia’s east coast energy crisis, the Minister for Climate Change and Energy announced a faster transition to renewable energy. To meet the government’s goals, Australia is moving at a break-neck pace to transition to renewables, and insurance players are watching closely as new risk patterns emerge. Property, Energy + Infrastructure partner Edward Burrell and […]