Professional Liability - Wotton Kearney

Articles

Treasury consults on significant reforms to the regulation of Australia’s audit sector

By: Suzanne Craig, Thomas Cavanagh and Jacqueline Mendoza Treasury has consulted on a suite of potential reforms aimed at strengthening accountability, governance and oversight across Australia’s accounting, auditing and consulting sectors. Released on 1 July 2026, the options paper proposes a range of reforms directed principally at the audit sector, including an ASIC licensing regime for audit […]

By : Joshua Weiler Sep 24, 2026 Comments Off

Thought Leadership

Climate statements and personal exposure: a D&O guide to the liability landscape

By: Raisa Conchin, Jacques Jacobs, Amanda Beattie and Zoe Jones At a glance In 2026, climate‑related statements entered the mainstream of directors’ and officers’ liability. This fourth article in our climate series focusses upon the personal liability landscape for D&O arising from climate-related statements and disclosures, including the new statutory sustainability reporting obligations under Chapter […]

By : Joshua Weiler Sep 17, 2026 Comments Off

WK News

2026 Wotton Kearney APIG Scholarship: Winner announced

Congratulations to Roger Wong at SURA Technology Risks on being awarded the 2026 Wotton Kearney APIG Scholarship. This year’s applicants were asked to identify a major issue in their area of insurance and propose how it could be resolved. Roger impressed the judging panel with his submission on ‘Information Asymmetry in the World of Cyber […]

By : Joshua Weiler Sep 15, 2026 Comments Off

Thought Leadership

Private credit’s reckoning: why governance failures are becoming the real risk for AFSL holders and directors

By: Suzanne Craig and Thomas Cavanagh The collapse of Shield, First Guardian and property developer Bathla has transformed private credit from an investment story into a governance story. Suzanne Craig and Thomas Cavanagh examine ASIC’s emerging enforcement strategy, the growing exposure of AFSL holders and directors, and the implications for D&O and professional indemnity insurers. […]

By : Joshua Weiler Sep 3, 2026 Comments Off

Articles

New $10 million environmental fines: What dairy farmers and SMEs need to know

By: Neil Beadle and Finlay Watson What has changed? New Zealand’s Resource Management Act’s new maximum fine of $10 million for corporate offenders has attracted significant attention.1 For large corporates, the message from New Zealand Parliament appears clear. What was once a $600,000 maximum fine has become $10 million. The intent is plainly to expose serious […]

By : Tracey Govind Aug 14, 2026 Comments Off

Case Alerts

New Zealand Court of Appeal clarifies trustee discretion and duty of care

By: Mathew Francis, Rebecca Scott, James Dymock and Alison Cupples Perpetual Trust Ltd v Cooke [2026] NZCA 349 Background Mrs Cooke died in March 2017. Her two adult children (Mr Cooke and Mrs Panhuis) were the original executors of the estate and trustees of the testamentary trusts established by her will. The estate’s main assets […]

By : Tracey Govind Aug 13, 2026 Comments Off

WK News

Get to know Lucille Stewart: Special Counsel in WK’s Adelaide office

We recently caught up with Lucille Stewart, Wotton Kearney’s newest Special Counsel in Adelaide, about her move to the firm, her South Australian insurance experience, and what she is looking forward to in her new role. The strategic appointment of Lucille as Special Counsel in WK’s General Liability group builds on the strength of the […]

By : Joshua Weiler Aug 12, 2026 Comments Off

Thought Leadership

New Zealand’s Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006: A new complaints framework

By: Filip Nikolic, Mathew Francis, Emily Whiteside and Alison Cupples Introduction On 9 July 2026, the Regulatory Systems (Occupational Regulation) Amendment Bill received Royal Assent, introducing a series of targeted amendments to New Zealand’s Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006 (LCA). The changes are primarily designed to improve the efficiency of the complaints process and strengthen the […]

By : Joshua Weiler Aug 11, 2026 Comments Off

Case Alerts

When a cracked house means a complete rebuild: Lessons from Di Lullo v JG King

By: Robert Finnigan and Chris Knight Di Lullo v JG King Pty Ltd (No 3) [2026] NSWDC 218 Introduction When a home suffers serious foundation defects, the critical question for courts, and for the parties involved, is whether the problem can be fixed in place or whether the house must come down entirely. The answer […]

By : Joshua Weiler Jul 27, 2026 Comments Off

WK News

2026 Wotton Kearney APIG Scholarship: Applications Open

Applications for the Wotton Kearney APIG Scholarship for 2026 are now open! In partnership with the Australasian Professional Indemnity Group (APIG), this annual scholarship awards AUD$9,500 in funding towards attending an international conference of the winner’s choice related to professional indemnity insurance or their specialist product area (for example, cyber or environmental insurance). For over […]

By : Joshua Weiler Jun 17, 2026 Comments Off

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