Dion Gooderham

Dion has more than 20 years’ experience as a General Counsel and Company Secretary, working primarily in insurance, financial services, and not-for-profit sectors. This includes working with major general and life insurers, banks, and superannuation trustees as well as large faith-based institutions.

Dion specialises in:

• Professional indemnity and general liability
• Financial lines (including directors & officers, cyber, data & privacy, employment practices liability)
• Commercial property, industrial special risks
• Insurance and financial services regulation, risk, and compliance

Dion has extensive experience in insurance claims management both from an in-house view of how claims managers and legal advisers operate, as well as technical expertise in most commercial insurance and financial lines policies.

He also has deep experience advising clients in 'front end' insurance such as underwriting advice, policy development and product distribution as well as regulatory compliance, prudential and risk management for insurers, brokers, MGA’s and other representatives in the insurance industry.

'I have always had a deep interest in insurance, claims and dispute resolution. Working as a senior 'in-house' lawyer for many years has helped me to understand how insurers operate and their particular strategic and operational challenges. I think this gives me valuable insights into effective claims handling and operating in a highly regulated industry. I’m looking forward to supporting our clients and their insured clients.'

Dion was admitted to practice in 1995 and had early exposure to a wide range of liability and major property claims. He has acted for excess layer insurers in the emerging class action jurisdiction including as part of the 2001 Esso – Longford Gas Plant shutdown and also actions arising out of the 2009 Victorian bushfires.

'I take a pragmatic and solutions-oriented approach to advising on any legal matters, including insurance claims and disputes. The law is ultimately a tool to help solve problems in a real-world setting so any legal solutions and outcomes need to be capable of being usefully applied and implemented.'

Dion has also worked extensively in the not-for-profit sector having led the legal functions for faith-based institutions.