People

Jessica O'Brien

Jessica O'Brien Profile Photo
Special Counsel
Jessica O'Brien Profile Photo

Jess' expertise encompasses the core specialisations in the financial lines space, namely directors and officers (D&O) insurance, class actions, general professional indemnity, specialist professional indemnity and coverage advice.

Experience

Jess has been involved in a number of high profile and complex class actions and has given extensive advice on D&O, prospectus and investment management insurance policy coverage. She also has considerable experience in professional indemnity insurance, having acted in claims brought against solicitors, financial planners, accountants, engineers, surveyors, and others.

Prior to joining Lander & Rogers, Jess worked in the dispute resolution group of a large Australian-based law firm and worked on a number of major commercial litigations. In 2014 and 2015, Jess gained invaluable experience by undertaking a 10-month secondment with a large insurer client during which time she managed a wide variety of claims.

Career highlights

Jess' experience includes acting for:

  • the first excess layer D&O and prospectus insurers of Dick Smith in connection with the class actions and other proceedings brought in the wake of its collapse in early 2016
  • the primary D&O and investment management insurance insurer of Tasmanian agribusiness companies, in connection with numerous proceedings brought against the companies and/or their former directors following the companies being placed into liquidation in 2013
  • the D&O insurer of an ASX-listed mining company in connection with a shareholder class action, insolvent trading claim and unfair preference claim by the ATO following the company being placed into liquidation in 2013
  • a multi-national insured in herbicide contamination claims by crop growers and an associated recovery
  • the Legal Practitioners' Liability Committee and insured solicitors in numerous professional negligence claims.

Insights by Jessica