NZ Privacy Act 2020 update #3 – The serious ‘serious harm’ decision

Today New Zealand’s new privacy regime comes into effect. Arguably the most important change created by the Act is that it is now mandatory for businesses to report privacy breaches in situations likely to cause serious harm. Assessing whether a business has a reasonable belief that a breach has caused serious harm can be a […]

Informed Insurance: Critical Uncertainties 2020/21

2020 has reminded us all how quickly our world can be turned upside down. As the market considers how best to prepare for a resilient future, scenario planning is a key tool that can begin to provide the answers. Wotton Kearney has joined with our Legalign Global alliance partners to produce the Critical Uncertainties series […]

Government’s spotlight on cyber

The growing dependence on technology and our hurried transition to remote working as a result of the pandemic has increased opportunities for malicious cyber-actors to target vulnerable organisations. Wotton Kearney’s Australian Cyber Team Kieran Doyle talks to Insurance NEWS on the impact on the insurance industry of the government’s efforts to improve Australia’s cyber-resilience and […]

NZ Privacy Act 2020 update #2 – NZ medical practitioners’ obligations

On 1 December 2020, New Zealand’s new privacy regime will come into effect. The new legislation updates New Zealand’s 27-year-old privacy framework, including a new Health Information Privacy Code. Under the Code, medical practitioners continue to have an obligation to provide patients with their health information. They also continue to have an obligation to ensure […]

NZ Privacy Act 2020: Update 1 – What the new law means for insurers and their insureds

On 30 June 2020, New Zealand’s privacy regime was reformed with the royal assent of the Privacy Act 2020. The new legislation will come into effect on 1 December 2020. The new legislation introduces a range of reforms that bring New Zealand into line with international best practice for privacy and data protection. These include mandatory […]

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 you […]

An Australian first – privacy regulator commences action against Facebook

On 9 March 2020, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) lodged Federal Court proceedings against Facebook for ‘serious and/or repeated’ breaches of the Privacy Act in an action that is the first of its kind in the Australian legal landscape. The case marks the turning point where the Australian regulator signals more of […]

Preying on the vulnerable – cyber claims predicted to rise due to COVID-19

Insurers are likely to receive an increase in cyber claims due to the impact of the coronavirus. Most businesses have had to accommodate remote working rapidly, leaving many with a range of cyber security exposures. There are already phishing scams using COVID-19 related messages to lure anxious individuals and the number of these is expected […]

W+K’s Jessica Chapman wins AILA’s inaugural Gill Award

We are delighted to announce that Jessica Chapman, a lawyer in W+K’s Sydney Financial Lines team, has won the Australian Insurance Law Association’s (AILA) inaugural Gill Award, which recognises lawyers for their research on issues that could affect the industry’s future. In her award submission, Jessica wrote and presented on: Decrypting crypto: The state of […]

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 […]