People

Dearne Wellington

Dearne Wellington Profile Photo
Special Counsel
Dearne Wellington Profile Photo

Dearne specialises in insurance law with a core focus on professional indemnity and other financial lines claims acting on behalf of local and international insurers. She has extensive experience providing coverage advice and as defence counsel in litigated and non-litigated disputes and advising insurers on subrogated recovery actions.

Experience

Prior to joining Lander & Rogers, Dearne spent over 10 years with a specialist insurance law firm in Sydney. During this time, she was seconded to two local insurers where she gained valuable experience in claims handling and policy drafting.

Dearne's areas of expertise include:

  • professional indemnity;
  • coverage (stand-alone);
  • property & real estate;
  • construction;
  • financial services; and
  • insolvency professionals.

Dearne has been recognised in Best Lawyers in Australia for her expertise in Insurance Law.

Career highlights

Dearne's experience includes:

  • defending a $95M claim against an international property services company relating to the leasing of a direct factory outlet centre at a greenfields site in Western Sydney
  • defending a negligence claim against a national valuation firm arising from an alleged overvaluation of a development site located in Sydney's northern beaches
  • acting for insurers on a subrogated recovery action involving fire damage to 4 tenancies at a Sydney homemaker centre
  • defending a negligence claim against an international property services company in connection with the management of a mixed-use development in North Sydney
  • acting on behalf of an engineering firm in proceedings litigated in the Supreme Court of New South Wales for damages as a result of subsidence to a neighbouring property during construction
  • representing an insured in tribunal proceedings involving alleged discrimination and victimisation
  • advising on indemnity and acting as defence counsel in claims against a range of professionals including valuers, real estate agents, accountants, financial planners, insolvency professionals and engineers.

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