Steven Donley

Full Profile

Steven advises leading corporations in the insurance and reinsurance, financial services, and building and construction sectors.  He provides his clients with a valuable combination of technical legal excellence, clear and strategic thinking, industry knowledge, and commercial practicality.

His practice focuses on advising insurers on policy coverage and liability issues arising out of claims and regulatory action against directors and officers, financial institutions, financial professionals and building and construction professionals.

He also advises on coverage and claims under industrial special risks, contractors all risks and contract works policies.

Steven has a proven track record of effectively resolving complex disputes through arbitrations and in proceedings in all federal and state courts.  Steven is qualified and has practiced in Australia, Canada and Ireland. 

Experience

• Insurance coverage – Advises insurers and reinsurers on coverage and liability issues relating to directors’ and officers' liability, financial institutions, and professional indemnity claims. 
• Directors’ and officers’ liability - Acts for directors, officers, companies and associations in the defence and management of securities class actions, liquidator recoveries, oppressive conduct claims, breach of directors’ duties claims and regulatory action.
• Directors’ and officers' liability – Acted for a turnaround management consultant in a liquidator recovery proceeding arising out of the liquidation of a national civil construction firm.
• Directors’ and officers’ liability - Acted for a national sporting code defending a league from an oppression suit after a league rationalisation.
• Professional liability – construction professionals - Acts for design professionals in the defence of complex, multi-party litigation arising from building and construction disputes.
• Professional liability – financial professionals – Acts for accountants, tax agents, financial planners, trustees, stockbrokers, AFS licensees and authorised representatives in the defence of claims involving professional negligence and breach of statutory or regulatory duty.
• Professional liability – financial professionals – Acted for a national stockbroking and financial planning firm in a number of Federal Court proceedings concerning claims for professional negligence and breaches of the ASIC Market Integrity Rules.
• ISR, contractor all risks and contract works – Acts for insurers, owners and construction professionals in the management of complex property damage claims in construction projects and in commercial/industrial contexts.
• Contract works - Acted for the contract works insurer of the Docklands Southern Star Observation Wheel in a major property damage claim.
• Class actions – Worked on a team defending a government department in the Victorian Black Saturday class action bushfire litigation.