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About us

Who we are and what we stand for

HBA Legal is an award-winning firm dedicated exclusively to defendant insurance law.

With a national presence, we provide practical and sensible advice across all lines of insurable risk.

  • Legal advice with clarity, not caveats

  • Top tier expertise from the very first touchpoint

  • Seasoned judgement that shortens the road to resolution

HBA Legal Team workshop

About us

Who we are and what we stand for

HBA Legal is an award-winning firm dedicated exclusively to defendant insurance law.

With a national presence, we provide practical and sensible advice across all lines of insurable risk.

  • Legal advice with clarity, not caveats

  • Top tier expertise from the very first touchpoint

  • Seasoned judgement that shortens the road to resolution

HBA Legal Team workshop

Areas of Expertise

Strategic legal support to reduce claim cost and accelerate resolutions.

Catastrophic Injury Claims
Catastrophic Injury Claims

Catastrophic injuries require a highly specialised legal response: one that balances legal expertise, medical understanding, and strategic foresight. Our team is known for delivering trusted guidance, meticulous analysis, and robust defence in the most challenging matters.

Compulsory Third Party
Compulsory Third Party

CTP legal defence to licensed insurers and scheme agents in both Western Australia and New South Wales, delivering effective solutions for both high-volume and complex disputes.

Health Law & Medical Malpractice
Federal Workers’ Compensation

HBA is home to some of Australia’s most sought after and respected practitioners in this space, who handle upwards of 150 ART matters across all Australian jurisdictions at any one time.

Financial Lines
Financial Lines

Our team understands the sensitive and reputational implications of financial and governance-related claims and provides discrete, practical, and strategic support at every stage.

General Liability
General Liability

Providing clients with confidence through disciplined investigation, deep legal knowledge, and a clear understanding of operational realities across commercial, industrial, and community environments.

Health Law & Medical Malpractice
Health Law & Medical Malpractice

Our Health Law team boasts particular expertise in risk management, medical negligence, inquests, and disciplinary matters.

We have an enviable track record in the defence of complex litigated claims, professional conduct proceedings, prosecutions and coronial inquests, as well as acting on behalf of public and private hospitals and health practitioners themselves with respect to administrative law.

General Liability
Professional Indemnity

HBA is widely recognised and trusted for managing complex, high-value professional indemnity claims across all Australian states and territories.

Equally, our people are skilled at managing high volume, low value claims, focusing on strategic resolutions and claims mitigation with insureds.

Public Liability
Public Liability

Unparalleled experience right across the casualty arena; whether claims are of a simpler nature involving members of the public on premises, or whether there are third party complex contribution claims being made including breach of contract, or issues relating to indemnity.

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View all

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Sectors we service

All lines of insurable risk across any industry.

HBA has significant experience acting for both airlines and their insurers, as well as the many service providers that interact with the aviation industry.

Our Commonwealth workers’ compensation team is highly experienced acting for clients in this space. We can also be relied upon for expert assistance across public liability, injury claims, property damage, general liability, and employment practices liability.

We stand well positioned to support third party baggage contractors, catering companies, freight carriers, heavy haulage, as well as charter and adventure flight operators.

The HBA team has vast experience in all aspects of the building, construction and engineering sectors, including a strong understanding across the construction incident-claim lifecycle, the inherent complexities for the insureds in those matters, and the claims processes that can follow. Our national team supports large clients across all Australian jurisdictions.

When things don’t go to planned – catastrophic injuries on site, any injury liability incident, professional indemnity claims, property & equipment damages, contractor claims, workplace & safety issues, contract & indemnity claims, or even recovery actions – HBA can be relied upon. Our industry-specialists are highly sought-after to manage these complex legal situations from first notification of incident through to resolution.

If your brand is facing either a mandatory or voluntary product recall, or any form of indemnity issue, you need expertise on your side from the get-go. We act for some of Australia’s most recognisable household names – from whitegoods companies to outdoor leisure products – ensuring claims are handled swiftly and tactfully to minimise reputational damage.

These claims are usually complex and sensitive due to the potential public safety risks. We will help you navigate your critical regulatory compliance obligations, respond to consumer correspondence, and offer general crisis management guidance to protect your business’ ongoing sustainability.

We continue to support countless clients across the energy, mining and resources sector. We are acutely aware of the tensions you face between corporate values and customer and employee expectations, while balancing commercial results. This makes it even more important to deploy strategies that can maintain privilege and minimise costs when incidents arise.

We are experts in critical response and crisis management; incident investigation; prosecutions and regulatory; contract and indemnity disputes; public liability claims; workers’ compensation claims and appeals; professional indemnity claims, and coronial inquests.

Our team recognises the complexity inherent in your operations and has significant experience across the entire incident response and claims process.

Our team has decades of experience acting for various government departments, state-based government insurers and local government. Model litigant principles are engrained in how we operate.

Our work in this area extends across Commonwealth workers’ compensation, public liability, professional indemnity, legacy and abuse claims, compulsory third party, motor vehicle claims, and commercial litigation.

We are currently appointed to the Whole of Australian Government Legal Services Panel.

HBA has unparalleled experience across the retail, hospitality and labour hire sectors. For decades, our people have acted for pubs, clubs, hotels, supermarkets, shopping centres, car park operators and restaurants (plus their insurers).

We partner with large clients in all states and territories across Australia when it comes to public liability, employment practices liability, third party claims, contract claims general liability, incident investigation, property damage, workers’ compensation and workplace & safety issues.

We know how to win litigation in this field and regularly do, but our value lies in the ability to accurately predict the potential range of outcomes in a claim and move quickly to settle where it makes sense. We simplify and solve, ensuring no surprises.

While HBA is wholly structured around insurance law and claims, we also provide a suite of highly specialised services specific to insurers, brokers and underwriters.

Our team brings deep sector experience to matters involving policy interpretation and wording, claims management support, comprehensive auditing, and broader legal advice concerning policy liability and exposure.

HBA’s medical and health law team is a trusted adviser to the Health sector, across all principal lines of insurable risk but with particular expertise in medical negligence, inquests, and disciplinary matters.

We have deep experience managing a diverse portfolio of health-related risks, complaints and claims, including medical and public liability claims, as well as complaints made against public and private hospitals, health practitioners, life sciences businesses, research institutes and universities.

Our lawyers have decades of experience advising the health industry on breaches of care, systemic failures, or unsatisfactory professional conduct leading to consumer complaints and litigated claims. We advise on reportable deaths requiring coronial investigation and inquiry, accreditation and professional standards, and represent the interests of a broad range of clients to manage investigations and inquiries.

HBA supports various professional clients, businesses, and their insurance brokers, advising on management liability coverage, as well as providing strategic legal counsel when things go wrong in the conduct of their professional practices.

We have specific expertise in public liability, employment practices liability (including bullying), fraud and fidelity, statutory liability, audit, mitigation costs, and the liability of directors and officers.

Our extensive experience and track record acting for accountants and financial planners (mainly Australian Financial Services Licensees and their authorised representatives) is publicly supported by Court and AFCA decisions. We are well known and trusted by the financial planning sector, with our team working across all Australian jurisdictions.

Our team also acts for brokers, engineers and lawyers. Whether in the defence of professional indemnity claims, or in responding to investigations by national regulators (including ASIC and AHPRA, local regulators such as the OLSC, Law Society, Legal Practice Board and [in Western Australia] the LPCC), we bring sound technical knowledge of the key statutory provisions and common law frameworks governing the professions.

The risk of a dissatisfied or injured customers is common in the sports, leisure and entertainment industries. We work proactively to mitigate your risks and provide targeted legal and commercial advice that enhances your business and protects both your reputation and financial interests.

Our team has considerable expertise across this sector having acted for children’s entertainment venues, horse riding operators, gyms, and more. For decades, we have defended the Australian ski fields.

Our work in this space spans catastrophic injury claims, professional negligence, public liability, general liability, property damage, contract & indemnity claims, workers’ compensation, recoveries and more.

We have a thorough understanding of the complexities inherent in safeguarding the reputation of these types of businesses, the integrity of the claims process and the commercial relationships that can often underpin these claims.

We provide market-leading expertise to various clients across the transport and logistics landscape, with particular expertise defending courier companies and mail delivery services.

HBA can support across public liability, workers’ compensation, property & equipment damage claims and more. We have a considerable practice in this sector when it comes to Commonwealth workers’ compensation.

We have built an enviable reputation for successful early dispute resolution; our team includes accredited mediators and strong negotiators adept at facilitating the early resolution of matters on instructions from our clients and where the circumstance of the individual case justify it.

The firm

Delivering strategic legal solutions that protect and empower your business.

Our award-winning team turns complex legal challenges into clear, actionable paths forward.

The firm

Delivering strategic legal solutions that protect and empower your business.

Our award-winning team turns complex legal challenges into clear, actionable paths forward.

  • Featured insight

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    Companies across Australia and New Zealand offering flexibility as the default, rather than a perk, have been named 5-star Employers of [...]

Our professional recognition

For standout expertise and smart solutions to 
complex legal challenges.

01

Best Law Firms (by Best Lawyers)
  • 2026

02

Best Lawyers
  • 2027

  • 2026

  • 2025
  • 2024
  • 2023
  • 2022
  • 2021
  • 2020

03

Doyle’s Guide
  • 2025

  • 2024
  • 2023
  • 2022
  • 2021
  • 2020

  • 2019

04

Employer of Choice
  • 2026

  • 2020

  • 2019

05

Top Innovative Firms
  • 2019

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