Connect with meRebecca advises on professional liability and employment law claims and disputes.
Her professional liability experience is extremely varied, having advised on a broad range of claims and disciplinary complaints against professionals, including engineers, solicitors and accountants.
She also has expertise in coverage issues, particularly with employment practices liability and professional indemnity, but also public and product liability and property insurance.
In her employment practice, Rebecca handles personal grievances, manages bullying and disciplinary investigations, and advises on employment processes.
Approachable and responsive, Rebecca is recognised in the Asia-Pacific Legal 500 as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ providing “cost-effective, sound strategic advice”. Focused on the issues that matter to clients, she achieves effective and efficient outcomes, including through mediation. She has also been recognised as a leading lawyer for insurance law by The Best Lawyers in New Zealand 2022 and 2021.
A committed pro bono and CSR advocate, Rebecca is a member of the CSR Committee of Wotton + Kearney’s Auckland office. She is admitted to practice in England and Wales, as well as New Zealand.
Employment Practices Liability
- Successfully defending a constructive dismissal claim involving bullying by a senior teacher and staff incompatibility. The hearing attracted publicity within the local community and required sensitive handling of the school board members’ relationships.
- Resolution of sexual harassment and unjustified dismissal claims, and associated employee share value dispute, stemming from sexual assault of an employee.
- Acting for an employer in a situation of a complete workplace breakdown, with multiple personal grievances and disciplinary investigations. This included managing the external investigator, a HR consultant and facilitator, and liaising with the employer’s board and insurer.
Professional Liability
- Successfully obtaining the strike out of a fiduciary duty and Fair Trading Act 1986 claim against an accountant alleging a misleading share valuation.
- Strike out of a solicitors’ negligence claim on limitation grounds.
- Advising on complex engineers’ liability and recovery claims concerning the design and supply of defective mining and quarrying plant in South Australia. This included managing multiple stakeholders – the parent company, liquidators and a business purchaser.
- Employment Practices Liability
- Fidelity + Crime
- Management Liability
- Product Liability + Recall
- Professional Liability
- Construction + Infrastructure
- Professions + Business Services
- Public Sector + Education
- New Zealand Insurance Law Association
- The Insurance Network
- Australian Professional Indemnity Group (APIG)