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Emma Petrie

Special Counsel

Sydney

+61 2 9234 4615

Emma has extensive experience in insurance litigation, with a particular focus on personal injury, public liability and professional indemnity claims across Australia, and has been with the firm since prior to her admission in 2013.

Experience & Expertise

Emma acts for both domestic and London-based insurers, defending and advising on litigated and non-litigated claims primarily in New South Wales, as well as advising on policy coverage.

Since joining the firm as a paralegal in 2011, Emma has worked exclusively in the general insurance team, and has a particular focus in defending professionals and insured persons in civil actions in the District Court and Supreme Court of NSW. Emma has also appeared in the Court of Appeal, the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal, and acted in coronial inquests.

Emma has experience acting for a diverse range of insured persons, including Government Agencies, Associations, real estate agents, engineers, principal contractors, subcontractors, cleaning companies, security companies, sport and recreational organisations, health care providers in immigration detention centres, and transport companies.

Emma takes a pragmatic and enthusiastic approach to management of all claims, focussing on thorough investigation of the issues and attention to detail. Emma’s clients benefit from her ability to engage with them to develop and implement an effective strategy for resolution of the claim, whether by way of settlement through alternate dispute resolution, or proceeding to trial.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Emma has successfully resolved claims from small to high value and with varying levels of complexity, across many jurisdictions. Some examples of the breadth of Emma’s experience include:

  • Successfully defending proceedings in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal for a business broker. The claim concerned one relating to an unsuccessful sale of a business ending in Supreme Court proceedings. The Applicant sought to recover its costs of the Supreme Court proceedings and made allegations of misleading and deceptive conduct against our client. Emma successfully defended the claim and the Tribunal also ordered the Applicant pay our client’s costs.
  • Acting for the Commonwealth of Australia (Australian Electoral Commission) in District Court proceedings brought by a plaintiff for personal injuries she suffered from a fall at a voting hall on Election Day. The claim was successfully defended at trial, and costs were successfully argued and awarded on an indemnity basis.
  • Providing advice and assisting in the defence of a suite of claims associated with the alleged use of banned substances by sportspersons arising out of the ASADA supplements scandal
  • Advising and acting in the defence of claims brought against the provider of healthcare services in immigration detention facilities
  •  Advising and acting in a coronial inquest relating to a death related to the use of performance and image enhancing drugs.

Recognition

Throughout her career, Emma has also recognised the importance of engaging in pro bono work, and has been a mentor to high school aged students through the NSW Department of Education’s LEAPS Program (Law Firms Encouraging and Assisting Promising Students).

Expertise

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Laws, 2012, University of Western Sydney
  • Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice, 2013, College of Law

Memberships

  • Australian Insurance Law Association
  • Australian Professional Indemnity Group
  • Law Society of New South Wales
  • Young Insurance Professionals
  • Women in Insurance