Elizabeth joined Lander & Rogers in 2007 and has a particular focus on construction and engineering disputes. With specialist construction law and industry expertise and experience across various lines of professional indemnity insurance as well as contract works and property, Elizabeth works with construction professionals, contractors and their insurers in a broad range of disputes.
Experience
Elizabeth is experienced in a wide range of commercial disputes, litigated mainly in the Supreme Courts of Australia and in private arbitrations. She provides coverage advice to local and London insurers on claims involving some of Australia's largest construction and infrastructure projects.
Elizabeth's sensible approach to the defence and resolution of large/complex disputes and her responsive, hardworking style means she is a preferred defence counsel for a number of large engineering consultants and contractors. Elizabeth is often called upon to provide advice on policy drafting and present to insurers and industry groups on construction insurance and industry issues.
Elizabeth is the outgoing President of the NSW Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), a not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to champion and empower women in the construction industry.
Career highlights
Elizabeth's experience includes:
- acting for the mechanical and electrical consultant in proceedings in the Supreme Court of NSW by the D&C JV for the WestConnex M4 East Project, alleging late, deficient and defective design of the mechanical and electrical services and claiming damages in excess of $300 million
- advising project professional indemnity insurers on mitigation claims for costs associated with unplanned movement in the temporary retention system for box structure for an underground station in the Brisbane Cross-River Rail Project
- defending arbitration proceedings by the Department of Defence against a managing contractor claiming damages in excess of $75 million for the defective design of air force base infrastructure
- acting for the structural engineer that designed wave attenuators for a large marina facility in Supreme Court of NSW Proceedings for alleged failure of the concrete decks of the attenuators
- monitoring and working closely with defence counsel for a D&C JV in defending proceedings brought by Transurban in the Supreme Court of NSW for defects in the lining and mechanical services in the Lane Cove Tunnel
- acting for an environmental and heritage consultant in an unlitigated claim by the managing contractor of a large defence base upgrade project, alleging defective and late services causing delay and other losses
- advising insurers on coverage across the full spectrum of construction policies on a portfolio of litigated and non-litigated claims against a major D&C contractor involving projects across Australia and internationally
- acting for project consultants on large-scale litigation involving strata defects
- acting for project consultants in claims involving combustible cladding
- defending arbitration proceedings against a D&C piling contractor as a result of settlement damage to a multi-storey commercial and residential development in Perth and acting in related recovery proceedings against the structural engineer in the Supreme Court of WA
- acting in recovery proceedings in the Supreme Court of NSW against parties involved in the design and construction of a large post-tensioned slab which cracked and failed, requiring rectification at a cost of more than $15 million
- acting in recovery proceedings in the Supreme Court of NSW against several parties involved in the construction of a collapsed warehouse in South Australia which caused losses in excess of $20 million for damaged stock and property
- acting on behalf of a structural engineering firm in proceedings litigated in the Supreme Court of NSW for damages as a result of the failure of a major element of the ventilation system in the Eastern Distributor Tunnel.