Connect with meSam has extensive expertise in first-party property damage across the property, construction, and infrastructure sectors. His practice spans advisory on contract works, ISR and SME policies, and high-value litigated disputes on those policies. Sam’s recent experience involves contract works claims on some of Australia’s largest construction and infrastructure projects, where Sam is advising large panels of insurers from Australia, the UK and Europe.
He manages a significant recovery portfolio, advising clients, including ASX-listed companies, on potential recoveries through contractual claims, negligence, and ACL actions. Sam has led numerous high-profile, multi-million-dollar recoveries across a diverse range of industries.
He regularly represents major developers in construction defence matters across Australia, including claims under project deeds and defending contractors under D&C agreements.
Sam is dual-qualified and admitted to practice in Australia, England, and Wales. During his time in the UK, he acted primarily for reinsurers and insurers on complex coverage disputes involving offshore oil and gas assets, international business interruption claims arising from COVID-19, and high-value recoveries litigated in the Senior Courts of England and Wales.
Construction and Infrastructure
- Acting on behalf of insurers and a large engineering firm in the Supreme Court of Victoria in defence of a claim for damages regarding alleged negligent professional advice and misleading and deceptive conduct.
- Acted on behalf of Lloyd’s market reinsurers in a claim arising out of damage to an offshore windfarm.
Professions and Business Services
- Acting in VCAT on behalf of a building surveyor in a claim for an allegedly defective high value domestic build.
- Defending a firm of engineers in the Supreme Court of Victoria regarding alleged negligent professional advice in the construction of a large commercial premises and pursuing contribution proceedings against the commercial builder.
Recoveries
- Recovering insured outlay for insurer client and uninsured losses for a property developer in the Supreme Court of Tasmania.
Energy, Mining and Power
- Advised Lloyd’s market reinsurers on defective part clauses in an Offshore Construction All Risk policy (incorporating standard WELCAR definitions) on a potential exposure arising from an offshore asset in Malaysia.
- Advised captive and insurer on the response of an amended WELCAR wording to a circa USD100m claim for defective equipment on an offshore platform in Norway.
Marine and Transport
- Acted for London market insurers in defence of a £50m claim relating to the loss of a commercial fishing vessel off the coast of Africa. This claim was litigated in the High Court of England & Wales.
- Defended London market insurers in a claim made under a Mortgagees Innocent Owners policy by a US hedge fund for the total loss of a fleet of mortgaged vessels, securing a loan.
- Professional Liability
- Property – Commercial
- Inquiries, Investigations and Prosecutions
- Marine and Transport
- Subrogated Recoveries
- Construction and Infrastructure
- Professions and Business Services
- Energy, Mining and Power
- Marine and Transport
- Australian Insurance Law Association
- Law Institute of Victoria
- Building Dispute Practitioners Society
- Australian Professional Indemnity Group