Get to know Shane Swinerd, new partner and property, material damage and business interruption specialist

Tell us about your journey to becoming a partner at W+K I came over from DLA Piper New Zealand in Feb 2022 alongside Peter Leman, Caroline Laband, Misha Heneghan and the team. It was so exciting and refreshing coming to W+K together and feeling so welcome by everyone here (and reuniting with so many old colleagues […]

Product Liability Update – Issue 1, December 2022

Welcome to Wotton Kearney’s Product Liability Update, a snapshot of the key trends, areas of regulatory focus, and emerging risks in product liability insurance in Australia and New Zealand. In this issue, we look at the ACCC’s focus on safety issues affecting young children, recent case highlights from Australia and New Zealand, and the latest […]

ACCC sets new product safety priorities

At the National Consumer Congress held in June 2022, the Chair of the ACCC, Gina Cass-Gottlieb, launched the ACCC’s Product Safety Priorities for 2022-23 under the theme “Protecting Tomorrow’s Consumers Today”. In this update, Scott Macoun and Trent O’Neill from W+K’s specialist Product Liability & Recall team look at the new product safety priorities, as […]

How far does product liability indemnity for economic loss extend?

At the heart of a typical product liability policy is the embedded concept that the policy responds to injury to tangible property and its consequences. However, recent UK claims have tested whether product liability indemnity extends to damages for loss of profit arising from the loss of contracts. In this update, W+K product liability specialist […]

Button battery safety standards to become mandatory soon

On 22 June 2022, Australia’s world-first mandatory button battery safety standards come into effect, ending the 18-month transition period. Product liability insurers need to ensure their customers will comply with the new regime as failure to do so may result in legal action, penalties and recalls. In this update, W+K Product Liability specialists Trent O’Neill […]

General Liability Trends Update: Towards 2022

2021 presented the general insurance industry with many uncertainties. Our 2020 GL Trends Report provided foresight into several trends that have impacted, and continue to impact, the general liability market in Australia and New Zealand, including historical abuse claims across different sectors, concussion and its impact on sport, as well as COVID-19 risks as it […]

New national safety standards for quad bikes

On 11 October 2021, phase 2 of the Consumer Goods (Quad Bikes) Safety Standard 2019 came into effect. It addresses minimum stability criteria and operator protection devices for quad bikes. In this article, W+K’s Scott Macoun and Trent O’Neill, assisted by Adrian Ballard, look at changes to the national standard and discuss how they may […]

Emerging Talent Series 2020/2021

The insurance sector attracts and retains young professionals who are hungry for relevant, regular learning and education opportunities. To help further their careers, W+K has put together a multi-part Emerging Talent Series addressing both Property & Energy and General Liability claims issues.

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 on […]

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 of […]