Our specialist services
Agriculture
HBM is experienced in handling a range of claims across agricultural industries, including hail, frost and fire and loss of yield for broadacre crops, cotton, forestry, including plantation timber, greenhouse, orchard and viticulture.
Aviation
Aviation claims can include aircraft and helicopters, hull and liability; premises and hangar keeper liability; airport owner’s liability; war risks; pilot’s loss of licence; aircraft dealer property/ISR and liability; chemical drift; and marine transit for aircraft, helicopters and components being imported to Australia or exported to other destinations.
Broker support
HBM assists brokers in a raft of negotiations for establishing brokerages, obtaining licences, mergers and acquisitions, and other issues.
Catastrophe claims
Floods, cyclones, earthquakes, fires, man-made catastrophes – HBM has assisted clients with major claims generated by catastrophes.
Compulsory third party
CTP claims for injuries to third parties during motor vehicle accidents are commonplace at HBM, where they are handled quickly and efficiently.
Construction/mining
The specialist fields of mining and construction insurance generate claims through exploration, development and operational phases. We can assist clients with claims for delay in revenue and business interruption, marine and transit coverages, political and credit risks, environmental and decommissioning obligations, and D&O liability.
Directors & officers’ liability
HBM has acted in major D&O liability claims and has significant experience in this complex area of insurance law.
Employment practices liability
The HBM team is experienced in providing advice on all aspects of federal and state employment law.
Environmental liability
Environmental agencies are actively pursuing parties for environmental damage. The expansion of residential and other developments into traditional industrial areas has resulted in issues arising from site contamination and identifying contamination. Contractors working with pollutants are exposed to potential prosecution. HBM Lawyers has extensive experience in assisting insurers and businesses to deal with authorities and affected third parties; prosecutions; and claims management for environmental matters.
Fidelity guarantee
The HBM team is au fait with handling fidelity guarantee claims which occur when insured entities suffer losses caused by the dishonest acts of employees.
Financial risks
HBM advises and acts for insurers on claims with a financial risk focus.
Legislation advice
HBM is familiar with all relevant state and federal legislation and regulations related to insurance, plus laws and regulations in relevant international jurisdictions. The team is frequently called on to provide advice on legislative interpretation.
Life and disability
HBM is experienced in assisting life and disability insurers with advice on a wide range of claims.
Local authority liability
High-profile litigation has made local authority liability a more complex field of insurance law. HBM is familiar with the concepts and principles espoused in the litigation and able to advise clients on coverage required.
Marine
HBM’s marine insurance expertise extends to advice on and claim management for loss or damage to ships, cargo, terminals and any transport or property by which cargo is transferred, acquired, or held between the points of origin and final destination. That includes onshore and offshore exposed property (for example, container terminals, ports, oil platforms and pipelines), hull, marine casualty and marine liability.
Health Law
HBM offers expertise in:
- Conducting medical defence in complex litigation, inquiries and disciplinary proceedings
- Claims and medical risk management strategies and implementation
- Professional indemnity insurance policy interpretation and advice
We regularly advise on health-related regulatory and insurance requirements.
We have the resources and expertise to run complex medico-legal litigation. Our skill lies in the tenacity of our strategies, which are implemented early, and our commitment to achieving the best results for clients. Medical advice issues include “failure to warn” and “loss of chance”.
Livestock/bloodstock and equestrian
HBM Lawyers assists clients with policy wordings and coverage disputes in the specialist field of livestock/bloodstock and equestrian insurance.
Motor
HBM Lawyers routinely handle claims arising from motor vehicle accidents and the team has developed significant expertise in the field.
Policy drafting and interpretation
We are policy architects. HBM’s expertise extends beyond policy interpretation; we get involved in the technical side of policy development and drafting.
The demand for plain English policy wordings has seen us refine underwriters' wordings to ensure the coverage intent is retained, but the potential for dispute is reduced through easier-to-read policy documents.
The HBM team assists insurers in a range of policy-drafting exercises.
We help insurers establish underwriting agencies, and advise on systems and procedures for streamlined policy handling.
Product guarantee and recall
Consumer pressure has intensified the need for effective product guarantee and recall policies. HBM can assist insurers with policy formulation for defect, government recall, malicious product tampering and product extortion.
Professional indemnity
HBM Lawyers is one of Australia’s leading professional indemnity practices.
Our lawyers act in all spheres of professional indemnity/D&O claims, ranging from claims against individual professionals to large businesses and government. Our experience covers professionals in construction/engineering, valuers, financial advisers and institutions, insurance brokers and agents, health professionals, education, government bodies, lawyers and directors and officers, among others.
Property/ISR/fire
The HBM team has experience in insurance coverages and claims across major residential and commercial property developments.
We have the experience and expertise to assist you in all types of property damage claims.
Whether we are pursuing or defending a claim we have a track record of swiftly and economically delivering positive results.
We have appeared in a variety of property-related claims ranging from coronial inquiries involving suspected arson to fraudulent domestic theft claims through to substantial multi-party disputes involving damaged commercial infrastructure.
Public and product liability
We have expertise in public and product liability law. The team routinely assists insurers when claims are made against manufacturers, designers, installers and sellers of products, including businesses that deliver services by administering products.
We have a track record in handling cross-border and multi-jurisdictional claims and are fully conversant with federal and state legislation covering the sale of goods, trade practices and fair trading and laws in key regional markets in which Australian business operates. Our experience extends to defending class actions.
Reinsurance
HBM Lawyers handles varied claims on behalf of reinsurers.
Sports Liability
HBM Lawyers assists client insurers with sports liability claims.
Statutory liability
An increasing trend to impose ‘no fault’ liability in the form of fines or penalties on companies and individuals in breach of state and federal legislation has created a need for statutory liability insurance protection.
As a relatively new field, it has generated significant claims. HBM is able to assist in advice and claims management for statutory liability.
Technology
IT liability has become a complex area of insurance law, with many claims arising from definitions of “goods” and/or “services”. HBM can assist clients in claims management and litigation.
Underwriting agency agreements
HBM has expertise in advising clients on developing underwriting agency agreements that meet the needs of agencies and their principals.
Underwriting support
HBM has a long history of providing insurer clients with valuable underwriting support.
Workers’ compensation
HBM is recognised as a leader assisting clients with advice and claims management in the workers’ compensation arena.