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MinterEllisonRuddWatts
Department profile | MinterEllisonRuddWatts
Insurance

About

Provided by MinterEllisonRuddWatts

Our Insurance team is a trusted adviser to leading insurers, brokers, corporates, and government entities, known for its depth of expertise and ability to navigate complex insurance matters. The team provides strategic, commercially focused advice across regulatory compliance, policy interpretation, claims disputes, and insurance litigation. With experience across life, health, property, professional indemnity, D&O, general liability, and reinsurance, the team delivers integrated support across transactions, disputes, and regulatory engagements.

Recent work highlights

  • Auckland Council | Advising in High Court proceedings against public liability insurers over indemnity for defective building claims, involving complex policy interpretation and multi-million dollar exposures.
  • Willis | Advised on non-party discovery orders in a NZD340m+ fire-related insurance dispute involving SkyCity and Fletcher Construction, managing confidentiality and document review.
  • HDI | Advised on its fair conduct programme under the new CoFI regime, enabling successful licensing under the Financial Markets Conduct Act.
  • Baygold | Representing Baygold in proceedings against FMG over denied indemnity for crop damage caused by herbicide misapplication, involving policy interpretation, pre-contract representations, and multiple statutory and common law claims ahead of trial.

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Insurance - New Zealand

3
Band 3

What the Team is Known For

MinterEllisonRuddWatts possesses an established insurance practice with experience advising multinational insurance brokers, underwriters, insurers and insureds on a range of issues. Its key clients include Marsh, Aon and PIC Insurance Brokers. The insurance team applies its wide range of experience and knowledge to large-scale insurance disputes and complex issues involving individuals, financial institutions, corporates and public entities. The team is frequently instructed on earthquake and property damage claims. The firm also offers a front-end practice, well versed in the design, drafting and interpretation of insurance policies.

Work Highlights

  • MinterEllisonRuddWatts advised a major international aircraft leasing firm in an insurance claim against QBE Australia and other insurers for the loss of and/or damage to six wide-body jet aircraft that were being operated in Russia at the time of the invasion of Ukraine. 

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

With excellent financial services and life insurance expertise, MERW is able to assist across the full range of matters we have from commercial to regulatory to dispute resolution issues.

Insurance respondent
Asia-Pacific

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

Andrew Horne
4
Andrew Horne
Head of Insurance
4
Band 4
Andrew Horne heads MinterEllisonRuddWatts's insurance practice from its Auckland office. He specialises in contentious insurance issues, which he has litigated on behalf of leading insurers and brokers from around the world, up to and including Supreme Court level, for over 25 years.

Andrew is a vastly experienced dispute resolution and insurance lawyer with excellent industry knowledge.

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Nick Frith
U
Nick Frith
Head of Insurance
U
Up and Coming

Nick Frith is an Auckland-based partner. He often acts for insureds on contentious and non-contentious claims and recovery matters both domestically and internationally.

Nick Frith is extremely professional and knowledgeable. He is commercially astute, and his level of service is outstanding.

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Ranked Lawyers at
MinterEllisonRuddWatts

Provided by Chambers
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Band

New Zealand

Insurance
Andrew Horne
4
Andrew Horne
Head of Insurance
4
Band 4
View Profile
Nick Frith
U
Nick Frith
Head of Insurance
U
Up and Coming
View Profile

Members

Provided by MinterEllisonRuddWatts

Andrew Horne

Andrew Horne

Head of Department

Hannah Jaques

Nick Frith

Nick Frith

Head of Department

Olivia de Pont

Clients

Provided by MinterEllisonRuddWatts

AA Insurance

AIA

AMP Life

Aon

Asteron Life Insurance

Auckland Council

Fulton Hogan

HDI Global Speciality SE

Marsh

Medical Assurance Society

Southern Cross Insurance

Suncorp New Zealand

Tower Insurance

Vero

Willis Towers Watson

Youi NZ