Presenters

Robert Crittenden, Principal and Practice Group Leader, Meridian Lawyers
Robert practices in insurance law and litigation, with a focus on professional indemnity and product liability insurance. He joined Meridian Lawyers in November 2014, bringing a wealth of experience in insurance law, having acted in many high profile insurance cases. He acts for overseas underwriters, particularly Lloyd’s Syndicates and others in the London insurance market. He also advises insurers, brokers, underwriting agents and insured parties and provides risk management advice to clients in the sports, leisure and construction industries. Robert has many years’ experience drafting and amending insurance policies and endorsements. In the professional indemnity space Robert has a particular focus in defending claims against lawyers, construction professionals and insurance brokers . Currently Robert is defending a large architectural firm in a large multi-defendant case involving cladding issues. He is also currently acting for a road base supplier in a large Supreme Court product liability case brought by a local government authority. He has acted in a number of large class actions including the Cash Converters action (pay day lending). Robert has also acted for the London market insurers of RailCorp in relation to the Waterfall rail disaster. Additionally he acted for the liability insurers of Cochlear in relation to a large number of product liability claims across the globe. Robert has been acknowledged by Best Lawyers in Australia for many years for his expertise in the areas of Insurance Law, Product Liability Litigation, Professional Malpractice Litigation and Litigation. He is also acknowledged in Doyle’s Guide as a leading professional indemnity lawyer. Prior to joining Meridian Lawyers, Robert was a partner at DLA Piper and its predecessor Phillips Fox for nine years and prior to that a Partner at Moray & Agnew.


Alex Haslam, Principal, Gilchrist Connell
Alex is an insurance, construction and commercial litigation specialist. Since 1998, he has acted on behalf of a wide range of organisations in Australia, London and New Zealand. Alex’s practice focuses on defending claims and providing insurance coverage advice on matters involving professional negligence, insured construction disputes, directors and officers liability, management liability, cyber liability, defamation, warranty and indemnity and crime/fidelity. Experienced in managing the commercial and business priorities of underwriters, re-insurers and insurers through his previous role at AON in London, he now applies the same rigorous pragmatic and commercial approach to all of his insurer and non-insurer clients alike to meet their business objectives. Alex is also known for his extensive legal knowledge and, when the circumstances require it, his forceful approach to litigation. With wide-ranging experience in insurance and reinsurance policy advice and disputes, Alex has advised insurers on issues arising out of various sections of the Insurance Contracts Act 1984 (Cth), including sections 13, 21, 28(3), 33, 37, 40(3), 45, 51, 54 and 56. Alex regularly delivers informative and practical seminars and papers to clients on topics as diverse as privacy law amendments, defamation, debenture trustees, exclusion clauses, advocates’ immunity, cyber risk, personal costs orders, risk management and contractual indemnities. Alex publishes in the Law Society of New South Wales Journal and other industry publications, presents in video and podcasts formats, and contributes articles to, and is the editor of Gilchrist Connell’s industry newsletter ‘Limelight’.