Natasha is an insurance lawyer who specialises in property damage, large loss recoveries, indemnity disputes, fraud, construction and professional indemnity. She has extensive experience in motor vehicle litigation claims ranging from private, motor fleet and heavy haulage vehicles.
Natasha provides regular training to insurer clients and is a trusted mentor of the high-volume motor vehicle litigation practice at Hall & Wilcox. Natasha also has insight into the internal workings of domestic insurers following a secondment as a Litigation Specialist at a major domestic insurer.
Natasha's strengths lie in a commercial and pragmatic approach to litigation. Natasha’s clients appreciate her proactive, collaborative and cost-effective approach to litigation. She delivers high-quality work and invests in building strong relationships with her clients.
Experience
- Extensive practice in private and commercial large loss property damage claims including fires, floods, large losses, asbestos, builder’s warranties and bushfire claims. Natasha has assisted insurers by taking active, pre-litigation involvement to liaise with loss adjustors, experts and interested parties to preserve evidence and obtain favourable expert evidence for insurers at an early juncture.
- Currently acting in $60 million recovery proceedings on behalf of approximately 400 plaintiffs in the Supreme Court of NSW in respect of property damage and business losses arising from the 2018 Tathra Bushfire. Natasha has taken part in a Coronial Inquiry on the matter as well as individual damages assessment and liaising with customers in relation to uninsured losses
- Advising an insurer on the application of an exclusion clause containing the words ‘physical or legal control’ in the context where the application of the exclusion resulted in a $750,000 uninsured loss. This required Natasha to liaise with underwriters, solicitors for the insured and solicitors for the claimant for the purpose of dealing with a $1 million property damage claim against the insured.
- Providing professional indemnity coverage advice and acting as defence counsel in relation to litigated claims arising out of defective products including issues involving geotechnical design, severed fire sprinkler systems, earth movement and faulty workmanship.
- Advising a major Australian general insurer in relation to a $4.5 million professional indemnity dispute involving an accountant’s sophisticated fraud schemes.
- Successfully defended a $175,000 credit hire car dispute for a national insurer. By putting together a thorough and cohesive case, Natasha uncovered evidence of a relationship between a credit hire company, repairer and plaintiff law firm and obtained an 80% reduction on the claim.
- Advising insurers in relation to over 100 indemnity disputes, including preparing IDR and EDR responses on behalf of the insurers and acting as defence counsel in AFCA. The policies in question included construction, plumbing, business, industrial special risk, home, motor and travel insurance policies.
- Handling a high volume of litigated motor vehicle claims for a variety of major insurers, which included assisting insurers to detect and prove a complex scheme of fraudulent claims, staged collisions and exorbitant claims by credit repairers and hire car companies.
- Worked as a Litigation Specialist on secondment at a national insurer, including handling complex property damage claims, dealing with difficult insureds and internal stakeholder management.
- Providing in-person training seminars to insurer clients on property damage principles and motor vehicle litigation.
Awards and Recognition
Best Lawyers in Australia 2024-2025
Insurance Law ('Ones to Watch')
Memberships
- Women Lawyers Association of NSW
- Young Insurance Professionals network