Partner
Kate Watson
Kate is one of Australia’s most sought-after practitioners within the Commonwealth workers’ compensation space. Particularly within Canberra, she is widely known for being an expert in all issues arising under the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988.
Kate has decades of experience dealing with Commonwealth statutory schemes, and spends her days advising Australian government entities, self-insured licensees, claims managers and Comcare.
She has a deep grasp of governmental operations and a recognition of the importance of cultivating strong relationships across the agencies she represents. She is well-versed at operating in accordance with model litigant principles.
Kate works with self insured licensees from a range of industries including transport & logistics, aviation, and academic and professional University staff in matters before the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) and on appeals in the Federal Court of Australia and High Court of Australia.
When it comes to national test cases in the area of Commonwealth compensation, Kate has played a pivotal role. For example, Kate was an integral adviser (while employed at Comcare) in the High Court matter of Comcare v Martin. While Kate is a skilled negotiator, her success rate when matters do proceed to hearing is strong.
Kate’s experience stems not just from her time in private practice, but also her seven years in-house with Comcare. She held various roles at Comcare including Chief Legal Officer (Claims & Liability Management) and Director of the SRC Legal team.
During that time, Kate sat as a member of Comcare’s Claims and Liability Management Executive. She advised Comcare’s CEO and Executive in relation to significant and high-profile Australian Administrative Tribunal (AAT) matters and court cases, and directed strategy in relation to these matters. Her role included advising the Executive General Manager, Claims and Liability, on numerous issues including premium calculations, proposed changes to the SRC Act and the then proposed exit of the ACT Government from the Comcare scheme.
Kate also spent eight years with the Australian Government Solicitor where she was seconded to both the Australian Taxation Office and Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
Immediately prior to joining HBA, Kate was Special Counsel at a Sydney-based law firm, acting for respondents in the AAT and Federal Court.
The many varying legal environments Kate has worked in means she brings to the table an additional (and very useful) perspective when interacting with clients in private practice.
Kate’s team regularly issue helpful legal updates on key cases before the ART.
She holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Science (1999) from the Australian National University and was admitted as a solicitor in 2000.
Personal Awards/ Accreditations
Some of the more notable cases Kate has worked on include:
- Instructing officer within Comcare for Comcare v Martin at the High Court.
- Successfully defending a claim for compensation where the applicant was not found to be an ‘employee’: Comcare v McLean.
- Novel cases involving what should be considered reasonable medical treatment, such as Comcare v Rope (2003).
- Dismissal of a claimant’s appeal to the Federal Court in relation to whether they had suffered a separate ‘injury’ which was not before the ART: Singleton v Comcare.
- Recent success on remittal to the ART in relation to a claim for Ross River Virus: Farrow-Smith and Comcare.
Why clients like her
