Brett Ablong

Brett has spent his entire career in insurance law, acting on behalf of government departments, insurers, brokers and self-insured organisations.

The bulk of Brett’s career before HBA was spent with Barker Gosling (which went on to morph into DibbsBarker). Over the dinner table with one of his then Senior Associates (Nathan Hepple), Brett was convinced to go out on their own and start their own firm. With a leap of faith, and a lot more at stake compared to Hepple, HBA was born.

Experience

Brett has spent 20+ years in the areas of state workers’ compensation, Commonwealth workers’ compensation, public liability, motor vehicle claims and administrative law. 

His skills also extend to professional indemnity and directors’ and officers’ liability. He has extensive advocacy experience and regularly appears before State and Federal Courts and Tribunals. 

Today, Brett’s practice is predominantly Commonwealth workers’ compensation based, acting for licensed employers under the Federal Compensation Scheme, and acting as Counsel in AAT and Federal Court matters.  Brett is widely known as among the most experienced lawyers when it comes to the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988.

Brett aims to resolve workers’ compensation disputes through negotiation, mediation, and other alternative dispute resolution methods. When it becomes necessary to contest a claim before a court or tribunal, Brett is well versed at ‘model litigant’ principles, while focusing on the key issues, avoiding unnecessary escalation and minimising litigation and costs.

Large Australian companies looking to acquire self-insurance status have come to rely on Brett for sound counsel in achieving their goals. Brett will obtain and retain their license, and provide assistance with audits. 

Brett is always happy to share his knowledge and can often be found speaking at industry events and seminars. He served as the Honorary Legal Adviser to the Safety, Rehabilitation & Compensation Licensees Association between 2011 and 2014.

In the Australian federal workers’ compensation arena, Brett is considered one of the best at assisting client with claims, litigation and compliance issues. His track record extends to thousands of claims including many precedent setting cases such as Grixti and Linfox Australia Limited [2009] AATA 566, which is seen as a breakthrough case limiting liability for hearing loss claims made against self-insured organisations, and Commonwealth Bank v Reeve [2012] FCAFC 21 which clarified the interpretation of reasonable administrative action.