Insurance

What the team is known for

Maintains an illustrious reputation for handling a comprehensive range of policyholder work, especially M&A-related warranty and indemnity matters, enjoying close ties with clients from the financial services sector. Active on professional indemnity claims, including those made against other law firms, and class actions, and also known for its front-end practice focusing on regulatory issues. Well placed, thanks to its multi-jurisdictional network of offices, to advise on insurance issues on an Asia-Pacific regional basis.

Strengths

Interviewees emphasise the team's "exceptional knowledge of market practice in the insurance space" and "track record of working on the most complex and high-profile matters" as key advantages, with one noting: "The breadth of KWM's skills has proved that they have the expertise to advise on the fullest range of problems we might face."

One client's observation that the practice demonstrates a "keen commercial understanding of what we need to achieve in a mandate" is echoed by another's that "they know and understand our business and the way in which we operate and work, including our pain points, which they help to alleviate where they can."

Work highlights

Advised Zurich Financial Services Australia on its AUD2.1 billion acquisition of ANZ's life insurance arm, OnePath Life.

Notable practitioners

Travis Toemoe specialises in the handling of major insurance disputes but is also active across a wide range of advisory and transactional mandates. Interviewees describe him as "a level-headed and pragmatic lawyer with a great background of well-trained experience," with one reporting that "he's been given some challenging matters and has managed them all successfully," and another remarking: "If it's a big matter, I think of Travis Toemoe and it would be him I'd call."