Victoria is a Senior Associate in our Professional Indemnity Team.
Victoria is an experienced litigator who works with insurer, private and government clients across a range of areas including public liability, workers compensation, health law and employment law.
Experience & expertise
Victoria specialises in insurance claims, with a particular focus on public liability, workers compensation and health law matters.
She also advises and represents employers, including in responding to unfair dismissal and general protection claims.
Victoria has extensive litigation experience, including appearing and instructing in matters in Civil and Administrative Tribunals, Magistrates Courts, District Courts, Supreme Courts and Courts of Appeal across various jurisdictions, as well as before the Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission.
Work highlights
Victoria’s experience includes:
- Advising clients and appearing in dispute resolution processes, including conciliations, conferences and mediations
- Acting in defence of various public liability personal injury claims, unfair dismissal and adverse action claims, intentional tort claims, disciplinary investigations and contractual disputes
- Representing medical practitioners on instructions from indemnity insurers to respond to Ahpra investigations and professional indemnity claims
- Advising Australian Government and private agencies in relation to compliance with National Employment Standards and other instruments, including in the context of employment contracts
- Conducting investigations on behalf of clients, including interviews with employees and witnesses, obtaining records and attending site visits
- Completing secondments to several Australian Government and private agencies within their litigation teams, where she has worked on high profile and sensitive claims
- Presenting to clients on various topical issues, including pre-court procedures and compliance and general training
- Involvement in the successful defence in various matters and across jurisdictions, including:
- Howard v Holdaway[2023] ACTMC 26, which involved a public liability claim brought against an uninsured individual under the Civil Law (Wrongs) Act 2002 (ACT). Here no breach of duty of care could be established
- On appeal in Aluabaid v Kilani [2022] ACTCA 31, which involved a compulsory third-party claim for which liability was denied. An attack on the plaintiff’s credibility resulted in an adverse credit finding being made against him. The Court of Appeal ultimately found that the circumstances of the accident, as alleged by the plaintiff, could not be proven and a breach of duty of care against the insurer could therefore not be established
- Assisted in the successful defence of a compulsory third-party claim, including on appeal in Ryan v Bhagria & Anor [2022] ACTCA 29. In this matter the Court could not be satisfied that the plaintiff suffered any injury, loss or damage, despite a breach of duty of care having been admitted by the insurer.
- Assisted in the successful defence of an unfair dismissal claim, including on appeal in Hijazi v Calvary Health Care ACT Ltd t/as Calvary Public Hospital Bruce [2021] FWCFB 1920.
Professional background
