Connect with meMeisha is an experienced litigation practitioner with over 25 years’ experience in the insurance sector. Her core practice area is general liability and financial lines with a focus on public and product liability claims, professional indemnity claims and general commercial disputes. Meisha regularly advises and acts for local and state government bodies and other institutions and has also developed a practice involving discrimination and abuse claims in educational sector.
Meisha is skilled at working across the market and has advised and acted for a variety of stakeholders including insurers and reinsurers, third party administrators, insureds with large deductibles or self insured, as well as defendants pursuing cover under a policy. Due to her extensive experience, she anticipates the needs and expectations of her clients, and how these may differ in a commercial context where the insureds are individuals, small medium enterprises, large organisations or government bodies.
Meisha’s technical skills and understanding of the commercial aspects of claims management and litigation allows her to work with her clients to achieve timely and appropriate outcomes that are consistent with their specific protocols and philosophy.
- Advising and acting for government and independent schools in response to claims of discrimination made in the NSW Anti-discrimination Board, NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal, Australian Human Rights Commission and Federal Circuit Court. These claims more frequently relate to claims of discrimination on the grounds of disability.
- Advising and acting for government departments, independent schools and religious institutions in response to claims of abuse (sexual and other abuse).
- Obtaining a Judgment in favour of the State of NSW with no order as to costs in proceedings arising from abuse at a school in the 1990s: Lazar -v- State of NSW (Department of Education), District Court of NSW, 4 March 2024.
- Acting for local government in relation to slips and trips on footpaths and roads, incidents in parks, community and child care centres and motor vehicle accidents. Meisha has successfully obtained a number of judgments and settlements in favour of the local government, most recently Meisha successfully defended District Court proceedings against the City of Sydney arising from a slip on a footpath. Meisha, Counsel and the City were able to promptly strategise during the hearing to meet the plaintiff’s last minute change of tact to prove the City’s liability. See Gayford v City of Sydney NSWDC 8 July 2016.
- Successfully defending Supreme Court proceedings where damages were sought arising from psychiatric injuries sustained by a security guard after confronting an intruder in a shopping centre. The claim revisited the principles relating to the existence of any duty of care not to cause mental harm, ‘obvious’ risk and ‘inherent’ risks. See Capar v SPG Investments Pty Limited t/a Lidcombe Power Centre & Ors. (No 5) [2019] NSWSC 507.
- Acting for local government in claims arising from their role as a Consent Authority and/or Principal Certifying Authority, including a claim arising from building defects associated with the effective height of the building. Meisha defended a local council in Supreme Court of NSW proceedings involving a number of defendants which ultimately resolved at mediation (convened over three occasions) for approximately half of the plaintiff’s claim. This was achieved by Meisha being involved in discussions with NSW Fire & Rescue (not involved in the litigation) in relation to the scope of works required to remedy the defects which was the subject of the claim for damages.
- Acting for head contractors and subcontractors in claims arising from personal injury and property damage sustained on construction sites. These claims typically involve multi-defendant parties and most recently Meisha successfully negotiated a 25% contribution from the head contractor for a significantly discounted settlement in circumstances where the issue of supervision and causation was strongly disputed and there were doubts with the extent of damages having regard to the surveillance obtained of the plaintiff’s activities.
- Government
- Legacy, Sensitive + Complex Claims
- Personal Injury
- Public Sector + Education
- Small Medium Enterprises (SME)
- Retail + Labour Hire
- Risk Management Institute of Australasia
- Australia Insurance Law Association
- Women in Insurance
- Law Society of NSW