Courtney Steele

Courtney’s principal areas of focus are professional indemnity (including medical negligence), commercial litigation, public and general liability, and workers’ compensation. Across these disciplines, she most commonly finds herself working with clients from the building & construction, mining, health, medical, hospitality and retail industries.

She also boasts significant experience with large commercial litigation and other sizable matters including property damage claims, construction claims, catastrophic incidents and consumer law claims, working with global and national companies with large deductibles and international and local insurers.

Courtney also has significant experience acting in workplace incidents, conducting investigations, general liability and workers’ compensation claims.

She is a trusted adviser from the first incident or dispute, until the litigation concludes. Along the way, Courtney assists clients with negotiating early agreements/settlements where appropriate, contract negotiations, witness interviews, risk management and assessment, review of policies and procedures, training staff and then managing all aspects of litigation in the aftermath of incidents. This includes the claims that flow for breach of contract and indemnities, business interruption, property damage, general liability and workers’ compensation.

Her most high-profile cases include large scale incidents at mine sites, fatalities on building sites, large scale force majeure, building collapse and subsidence claims. Courtney has proved herself to be an expert in obtaining specialist medical advice in relation to asbestos claims, COPD and Coal Mine Workers’ Pneumoconiosis including diagnosis, management and treatment. In the past, she has worked hand-in-hand with leading Australian and US medical experts in the field.

Courtney regularly acts for doctors and hospitals in medical malpractice cases; this work comes from government, insurers and directly from medical professionals/ organisations. She has a proven 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 with respect to administrative law (Medicare/PSR, judicial review, breach of privacy).

Importantly, Courtney is highly-skilled at appearing at settlement conferences and mediations without the use of counsel, advocating on behalf of clients to achieve desired outcomes.

Those who work with Courtney consider her a true business partner, providing commercial strategies to both minimise costs and ensure the best possible result is achieved.

Courtney is known for being a sharp investigator and litigator who is approachable, with a reassuring calm demeanour and can-do attitude.

Her ability to undertake early and accurate assessments of claims and provide down to earth analysis and explanation means her clients receive the best outcomes at the earliest opportunity and she helps her clients’ businesses learn from lessons learned from prior claims.

She is widely respected in the Queensland market by both co-defendant, plaintiff lawyers, mediators and counsel.