Emma is the Managing Partner of our Canberra Office. She is a key member of our Canberra Insurance and Workplace Teams and also practices in Tasmania.
Experience & expertise
Emma acts in defence of workers compensation, professional indemnity, public liability and personal injury claims, acting for insurers, government and self‑insured entities. She has a substantial practice in workplace and industrial law, advising and representing employers, insurers and medical professionals across a broad range of contentious and advisory matters.
Emma has twice been named Best Lawyers© Canberra Insurance Lawyer of the Year in their 2020 and 2027 editions.
Emma’s clients include ACT workers compensation insurers, licensed self‑insurers, professional and statutory insurers, Comcover, the ACT Government and a range of Commonwealth Government agencies.
Emma’s clients value her pragmatic and commercially focused approach. She is committed to providing legal advice that is focussed on solving problems in the most efficient and effective manner, across her various areas of expertise.
Her professional indemnity practice includes acting for insurers in negligence claims against lawyers and barristers, advising on liability, coverage and claims strategy.
Emma has extensive experience in the ACT workers’ compensation scheme, having advised insurers and employers since significant amendments to the Workers Compensation Act 1951 (ACT) took effect in July 2002. Her work has included assisting clients with policy wording, injury management documentation and precedent claims correspondence. She remains passionate about servicing her ACT workers compensation clients and their insured employers by accurately estimating claims, analysing issues and investigating areas of dispute. Emma works collaboratively with insurers and employers to achieve commercially beneficial and timely resolutions.
Emma’s employment practice includes work for private employers, employment practices liability insurers, medical indemnity insurers such as Avant, MDA, Medical Indemnity Protection Society and MIGA. She also advises Commonwealth agencies through Moray & Agnew’s appointment to the Whole of Government Legal Services Panel for Workplace and Industrial Relations. Emma adopts a thorough but practical approach when advising her clients as to employee entitlements, contractual arrangements, work health and safety obligations and in the context of disputes.
In addition to her commercial practice, Emma has a strong interest in pro bono work, providing legal services to not‑for‑profit organisations and charities. She is currently Board Chair of Roundabout Canberra.
Work highlights
- Acting in matters involving disclosure and privilege including Dean v More than a Morsel [2002] ACTSC 101 and subsequent cases involving the Workers Compensation Regulation and the Civil Law (Wrongs) Act 2002 (ACT)
- Acting in successful defence of limitation extension application in Nunes v Sarri t/as Sails the Waterfront Pub [2004] ACTSC 6
- Acting in the leading ACT authority on the regular and systematic test for when a contractor is taken to be a worker: Yaraka Holdings Pty Limited v Gilgevic [2006] ACTCA 6
- Acting in the leading ACT authority on apportionment between employers: Berkeley Challenge Pty Limited v Blazeski and Anor [2006] ACTSC 55
- Appearing as counsel and achieved verdict for the respondent at first instance in Stekovic v Polyseal and Anor [2012] ACTMC 8
- Achieving verdicts for the defendant, including in Stone v Owners Plan and Ors [2014] ACTCA 14 and Gang v You [2024] ACTCA 37
- Representing ethical investment organisation in defence of misleading and deceptive conduct allegations in Federal Court made by mining company the subject of the 2014 ANU divestment decision, achieved resolution despite significant non-financial drivers
- Acting in defence of multi-million dollar professional negligence claim against law firm brought by liquidator of development entity, settled such that reputational risk contained and within limit of insurance cover which was significantly less than total loss alleged
- Acting in defence of various interesting public liability personal injury clams and professional indemnity claims against lawyers, immigration agents, accountants and real estate agents
- Acting on instructions from Court appointed trustee in significant family trust dispute, arranged sale of commercial property and dissolution of trust
- Resolving general protections claims in Fair Work and Federal Court, including senior level employee claims involving breach of contract allegations
- Successfully defended unfair dismissal claims including on appeal, for example Hijazi v Calvary Health Care ACT Ltd T/A Calvary Public Hospital Bruce [2021] FWCFB 1920 (9 April 2021).
Professional background
