Lara is a Partner in our Professional Indemnity and Public Liability Teams.
Lara is an experienced insurance litigator and acts for all types of professionals, non-professionals and organisations. Her particular focus is medical practitioners and allied health workers who are the subject of litigation or disciplinary action, or who are required to give evidence in coronial inquests. Lara is also the local lawyer for a major national shopping centre in respect of public liability claims. Her ability to connect with professionals and non-professionals on a personal level assists individuals through stressful and often complicated legal processes.
Experience & expertise
Since 1995, Lara has acted for public liability and professional indemnity insurers in a wide range of claims, spanning from simple personal injury claims to complex class actions involving multiple parties. She commenced her career in Sydney where she worked for several specialist insurance law firms and she returned to Canberra in 2010 when she joined Moray & Agnew. Her wealth of experience in multiple jurisdictions and courts gives her a detailed knowledge of procedure and legal issues, which she utilises for securing pragmatic and sound financial outcomes for clients.
Lara also provides assistance to individuals called to assist in coronial inquests.
Lara is a preferred lawyer in Canberra for medical indemnity insurers. Her pragmatic yet empathetic manner facilities strong working relationships with the medical practitioners she represents, which she utilises to achieve outcomes to suit both the practitioner and the insurer.
Lara is a measured litigator who carefully considers every case on its merits. She does not believe that ‘one approach suits all’ and she adopts the strategy that best suits each case and best serves her client’s needs. Lara will pick up the phone to discuss claims with her opponents and will ‘cut to the chase’ to achieve quick and efficient outcomes.
Work highlights
Lara has represented medical practitioners across a breadth of specialities, including general practice and specialised fields. She has assisted in litigated claims, disciplinary proceedings, investigations, and coronial inquests. The process is usually immensely stressful for the practitioners involved and Lara has developed a deep appreciation of this and become highly effective in managing and counselling the practitioners through the process.
Lara has saved her insurer clients thousands of dollars in legal costs through her innovative approach to problem solving which has prevented matters reaching litigation.
An early highlight in her career was representing Graham Barclay Oysters in the first Federal Court Class action, which went all the way to the High Court.
Professional background
