Andrew Spearritt | Partner LLB (University of Sydney), 1983 BA(Hons) University of Sydney 1984 t: 61 (2) 8231 6210 e: andrew.spearritt@curwoods.com.au   Employers Liability and Latent Diseases

Main areas of practice

• Insurance
• Dust Diseases/Asbestos/Passive Smoking
• Public & Products Liability
• Workers’ Compensation

Background

Andrew is a senior insurance partner with vast experience gained over 20 years during which he has led teams in some of Australia’s best known insurance practices and represented clients in some landmark cases with national and global significance.

Andrew is a qualified mediator and is a Law Society NSW Accredited Specialist in Personal Injury Law.

He joined Curwoods in 2005 and heads the Employers Liability and Latent Diseases practice.

Experience

Significant matters on which Andrew has advised include:

Asbestos

• Advised a major international merchant bank on the insurance and strategic management issues for dealing with the removal of asbestos in their city headquarters.
• Successfully defended an asbestos claim for the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence, which was litigated in NSW.
• Advised a major insurer, and conducted the litigation, in one of the world’s first passive smoking cases in a common law jurisdiction, which was heard by a Judge and Jury (Marlene Sharp v Port Kembla RSL Club - 2001).
• Successfully acted for CGU Insurance Limited in a leading case on indemnity issues and interpretation of policy wordings and definitions of “injury” in latent disease cases (Orica Limited v CGU Insurance Limited, NSW Court of Appeal reported 11 November 2003).
• Acted in a mesothelioma case in relation to cross-vesting, a decision of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, Haylock v St George Bank.
• Acting in a recovery action on behalf of reinsurers in relation to a number of asbestos claims which were settled in the 1970s and 1980s.

Workers Compensation

• Acting in a number of toxic tort cases involving alleged exposure to oils and fumes in aircraft and other machinery – these are currently being litigated. 

Professional Activities

Andrew is a regular presenter at seminars on latent disease claims especially relating to management of asbestos claims.  He has written and presented papers for the IIR Group and the University of New South Wales, Faculty of Law, CLE Department. 

Most recently he has written and presented papers on asbestos claims in Australia to the London insurance market.

Member, Australian Insurance Law Association.

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