Health law is rapidly evolving. From advertising compliance and consumer rights to AI in health records to coronial inquests and civil liability, this event offers a comprehensive overview to make sure you don't fall behind. Hear from expert practitioners as they unpack recent developments and key legal risks impacting the health sector today. Polish your professional skills by into how to best prepare a negligence case for mediation and the best practices for communicating with experts.

Presenters

Andrew Allan, Partner, HWL Ebsworth
Andrew is a Partner in the HWL Ebsworth National Insurance Group, based in Canberra. Andrew is an expert dispute resolution lawyer and works primarily in the context of common law-based insurance schemes and administrative benefit and review schemes. Andrew’s clients include private insurers (including medical indemnity insurers), the Commonwealth Government, and the ACT Government. Andrew has extensive experience in personal injury claims, commercial disputes, asbestos-related disease claims, investigations, complaints processes, coronial inquests, and advising on indemnity issues. Andrew was recognised as ‘Lawyer of the Year’ for Alternative Dispute Resolution in Canberra in the 2023 edition of Best LawyersTM Australia. He was recognised as ‘Lawyer of the Year’ for Insurance work in Canberra in the 2022 edition. He has also been recognised in the same publication for Government Practice (2017 – 2024), Insurance (2019 – 2024) and Dispute Resolution (2020 - 2024).


Justine Matthews, Special Counsel, Hall Payne Lawyers
Justine is Special Counsel at Hall Payne Lawyers, bringing over 20 years of legal expertise to the firm. Specialising in Health Law, she is dedicated to supporting health practitioners facing complaints, investigations, disciplinary actions or navigating the registration process with Ahpra. She has represented doctors and health practitioners before numerous authorities and regulatory bodies, including the AHPRA, OHO, HCCC and Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. Justine is renowned for her ability to navigate sensitive and complex cases, consistently handling high-pressure matters with discretion and exceptional expertise. In addition to her legal acumen, Justine has delivered training seminars and published articles to support the medical profession in understanding regulatory requirements and minimising risk. Justine’s extensive career includes senior roles in both private practice and corporate settings. She has served as Partner in Charge at leading law firms and has been recognised for her legal excellence, including listings in Australia’s Best Lawyers and Doyle’s Guide for Defendant Litigation.


Alison Choy-Flannigan, Partner and Co-Lead Healthcare, Hall & Wilcox
With over 25 years of corporate, commercial and regulatory experience, Alison has specialised in advising clients in the health, aged care, retirement living, disability, life sciences and community sectors. Alison co-leads the Health & Care Practice at National Law firm, Hall & Wilcox. Alison has been listed in The Best Lawyers in Australia (and the Australian Financial Review) since 2008 for Health & Aged Care and also Retirement Living and Biotechnology. She has been recognised in the Doyle's Guide to the Australian Legal Profession as a Leading Health and Aged Care Lawyer each and every year since 2017 and Chambers for Life sciences. Alison has been a finalist for the Lawyers Weekly Partner of the Year in Health every year since 2016 and won this prestigious award in 2019, 2020 and 2021. She was a finalist in the Lawyers Weekly, Women in Law Awards, Partner of the Year - Big Law, 2019 and 2021.


Scott Sherwen, Partner, Makinson d’Apice Lawyers
Scott has specialised experience in providing legal advice to individual medical practitioners and public health facilities in respect of medical negligence claims and coronial proceedings. In this regard, he has advised in relation to a number of multi-party matters, which involve complex liability, causation, contribution, and damages issues. Scott adopts a pragmatic and measured approach towards conducting litigation, which is focussed on building and maintaining strong relationships with clients by ensuring that they are in a strong position to defend claims where appropriate. Where liability is clear, Scott take steps to resolve matters in the most cost effective and timely manner possible.


Catherine Henry, Principal, Catherine Henry Lawyers
Catherine is a well-known and highly respected medical and aged care lawyer with more than 30 years’ experience in this specialist field of law. She has successfully handled thousands of claims against health and aged care facilities and medical providers and has worked on some of Australia’s highest profile cases during her lengthy career as a medical and health lawyer. Her expertise includes: medical negligence; allied health care negligence; disciplinary complaints and litigation acting for health professionals; legal aspects of women’s health & reproductive medicine; aged care regulation and litigation; assisting chronically ill aged care residents; mental health advocacy, policy and litigation against mental health facilities; conduct of inquests. Catherine ran the health litigation practice at Sydney firm Craddock Murray & Neumann where she was a partner and then established a successful Newcastle branch office of that firm upon her relocation to her hometown of Newcastle in 2002. She later merged that part of the firm with Hunter based personal injury firm, King Street Lawyers where she was co-owner. In 2009, Catherine took over the practice and created Catherine Henry Lawyers. In conjunction with her experience in common law – negligence litigation against health providers, Catherine has significant experience in the health complaints and regulatory area. Before she entered private practice, she worked as a senior solicitor at the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission investigating and prosecuting disciplinary complaints against medical practitioners. Her health disciplinary experience includes having been Legal Member in matters before the Pharmacy Board and the Mental Health Review Tribunal and her firm conducts numbers of matters for allied health professionals – pharmacists, psychologists, nurses amongst others to this day.