NZ Insurance Market Trends Update 2023

We are pleased to share our latest edition of NZ Insurance Market Trends Update. Our annual report explores legal and claims trends, legislative and regulatory developments and significant recent decisions that impact insurers, underwriters, brokers and corporates operating in the New Zealand insurance market. Our report includes more than 30 articles that look at trends, […]

No novel duty owed: Full Federal Court upholds Minister’s appeal in Sharma

The Full Federal Court has unanimously overturned the landmark Sharma decision, which found the Commonwealth Minister for the Environment owed a duty of care to Australian children to avoid risk of personal injury when considering whether to approve a coalmine expansion. While this appeal concerned one Minister’s specific exercise of power under Commonwealth legislation – […]

W+K lawyers working with climate justice organisations to increase their impact

The meeting of world leaders at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference known as COP26 this week has been described as a forum which will decide the date of our planet. COP26 is being seen as the last chance to close the gap between the goals of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming […]

D&O liability risks arising out of mining and energy decommissioning

Governments have been left to foot the bill for hundreds of millions of dollars for rehabilitation costs following high profile collapses of mining and energy companies. In response, legislation has been passed by federal, state and territory governments enabling them to pass on these costs to ‘related persons’, which could include directors and officers. In […]

PFAS – A chemical of concern

The rapidly developing regulatory landscape regarding PFAS, the growing number of lawsuits and the big settlements being reached are creating significant concern within the insurance industry. In this update, W+K’s Charu Stevenson, Raisa Conchin, Ronald Mok and Sarah Mellowes provide some background on the PFAS issue and look at the issues it raises for the […]

NZ Insurance Market Trends Update

Welcome to Wotton + Kearney’s NZ Insurance Market Trends Update, our biannual snapshot of legal trends and developments impacting claims managers, underwriters, brokers and corporates operating in the New Zealand market. In this edition, we look at the impact of recent matters in the areas of D&O claims, representative actions and EPL. We provide updates […]

2021 Insurance Predictions Report

Wotton + Kearney is pleased to provide our 2021 Insurance Predictions Report, looking at the major trends and issues we expect will remain in the spotlight for the insurance industry in our region this year. It’s no surprise that this report addresses some of the horizon issues that we expect to face in the wake […]

Addressing the asbestos legacy – managing risks with EIL insurance

Governments around the country are focused on addressing Australia’s asbestos legacy through regulation and remediation. As dealing with asbestos is both expensive and highly regulated, many unscrupulous parties continue to be involved in illegal activities, such as dumping and fake certification – often at a high cost to others. In this article, Charu Stevenson and […]

COVID-19 Resource Centre

Wotton + Kearney is committed to keeping our clients informed of the insurance and broader business implications of the coronavirus outbreak. With senior insurance law experts across major policy types and market sectors, we are well placed to provide advice and tailored support in product lines and claims areas we specialise in. On this page […]

COVID-19: Implications for insurers – A Legalign Global Report

The significant impact of the coronavirus pandemic is being felt worldwide. For the insurance sector, the exposures created by the coronavirus are significant as an international event of this size and complexity carries a range of insurance risks, including first party and supply chain business interruption, event cancellation, travel and liability claims. Legalign Global’s alliance […]