People

Elizabeth Brookes

Elizabeth Brookes Profile Photo
Partner
Elizabeth Brookes Profile Photo

Elizabeth works in the firm’s Insurance Law and Litigation team. With experience across various lines of professional indemnity insurance as well as contract works and property. Elizabeth has a particular focus on construction and engineering disputes. She provides advice to construction professionals, contractors and their insurers.

Experience

Elizabeth is experienced in a wide range of commercial disputes, including class actions and disputes litigated mainly in the Supreme Courts of Australia. She provides coverage advice to local and London insurers on claims involving some of Australia's largest construction and infrastructure projects.

Elizabeth is often called upon for advice on policy drafting and to present to insurers and industry groups on construction insurance and industry issues.

Elizabeth also has a special interest in employment practices liability claims and has defended and provided advice to insurers in some of Australia's most high profile employment related disputes.

Elizabeth is Co-President of NAWIC's NSW Chapter, a not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to champion and empower women in the construction and associated industries.

Career highlights

Elizabeth's experience includes:

  • providing coverage advice across the full spectrum of construction policies on a portfolio of litigated and non-litigated claims against a major D&C contractor involving projects across Australia
  • acting for project consultants on large scale litigation involving strata defects
  • acting for project consultants in claims involving combustible cladding
  • defending arbitration proceedings against a D&C piling contractor, following settlement damage to a multi-storey commercial and residential development in Perth; and acting in related recovery proceedings in the Supreme Court of WA
  • acting in recovery proceedings in the Supreme Court of NSW against several parties in the construction of a collapsed warehouse in South Australia which caused stock and property losses in excess of $20M
  • acting on behalf of an engineering firm in proceedings litigated in the Supreme Court of NSW for damages involving the ventilation system in the Eastern Distributor Tunnel.

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