Our firm

One of Australia’s leading
defendant-only insurance law firms

When you work with our multi-award-winning team, you work with people who are constantly anticipating your evolving legal needs.

Who we help

We provide practical and sensible advice across all lines of insurable risk.

We work with top 20 ASX listed companies, underwriters, brokers, insurers, insureds, public and private companies, state and federal governments, as well as the London insurance market.

But make no mistake; we don’t just provide legal advice. We provide succinct strategies and practical recommendations that consider commercial considerations and desired outcomes.

The hallmark of HBA Legal is solutions you can count on, not disclaimers you must read around.

HBA Team

Who we help

We provide practical and sensible advice across all lines of insurable risk.

We work with top 20 ASX listed companies, underwriters, brokers, insurers, insureds, public and private companies, state and federal governments, as well as the London insurance market.

But make no mistake; we don’t just provide legal advice. We provide succinct strategies and practical recommendations that consider commercial considerations and desired outcomes.

The hallmark of HBA Legal is solutions you can count on, not disclaimers you must read around.

HBA Team

Who we are

HBA is home to more than 80 people, including nine Partners

We pride ourselves on providing legal advice with clarity, not caveats.

Unlike many law firms, HBA is deliberately ‘senior heavy’. This ensures clients receive wisdom of experience and speed.

At a glance

  • Established 2011

  • National presence: Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra, Newcastle

  • Genuine gender diversity: our female partners represent 60% of the leadership team

  • Collectively, a partnership team with more than 200 years of experience

  • Recognised by Best Lawyers since 2020 across Personal Injury Litigation, Insurance Law & Litigation

  • Recognised by Doyle’s Guide since 2019 in areas including Medical Negligence, CTP, Public Liability, Workers’ Compensation & Insurance

  • Several lawyers formally recognised by the Law Society of NSW as Accredited Specialists in Personal Injury Law

  • Consistently high employee engagement rate, and low staff turnover compared with industry benchmarks

The entire business of HBA Legal is structured around the insurance industry and legal issues arising from it.

Every member of our team understands the complexities inherent in safeguarding the reputation of clients’ businesses, the integrity of the insurance process (including claims) and the commercial relationships that often underpin insurance issues.

What makes us different

If you want slow and expensive, you know where to go.

If not, welcome.

  • Our ‘secret sauce’ is a combination of efficiency, process and firm dynamics.

  • Your file doesn’t climb a ladder. It hits a Partner first, giving you confidence that you’re getting the right level lawyers touching your matters, at precisely the right time.

  • Strategy doesn’t wait; it’s set early by a senior practitioner. No waiting weeks or months.

  • You get better value because we work smarter. Our rates may match others, but clients consistently tell us that our total cost of managing claims is far lower.

  • We’re ‘senior heavy’ so you get seasoned judgment and faster results.

  • Proactive risk management embedded in every matter.

Values & Culture

Our Values guide every move we make; every interaction with each other and our clients.

The ‘HBA Way’ is …

Collaborative
Collaborative

We listen first, and we keep listening. We get close to your goals, understand what drives you, and work side by side to make it happen.

Generous
Generous

We engage openly with all stakeholders from the outset – insureds, brokers, and beyond. We invest time in understanding every perspective and respond with empathy, balance, and professionalism.

Creative
Creative

We approach every matter with flexibility and focus. By assembling the right team for each brief and applying efficient, proven processes, we achieve exceptional results while managing costs responsibly.

Genuine
Genuine

We are straightforward, transparent, and easy to work with. Our people simplify complexity, communicate with clarity, and inspire confidence through plain language and trusted expertise.

HBA is where specialist insight
beats Big Law complexity.

At inception, HBA removed the shackles of bureaucracy, ‘old school‘ silos and traditional thinking so often seen in big firms, enabling true business partnerships with clients.

We don’t subscribe to individual partner or team silos because we don’t feel that model is in your best interest. We always offer the most appropriate and cost-effective team for the job, rather than formulating a team based on convenience to us.

We draw on the skills and experience of our people across our national network, wherever they sit in relation to the client and regardless of internal reporting lines. This model ensures HBA clients receive the best, most suitable minds, specific to the matter at hand.

Our journey

The Evolution of HBA

2011

The beginning

HBA Legal was born, with just 10 people, two small offices in Perth and Sydney, and a mission to challenge the traditional law firm model. Having grown up in mid to large sized firms, founders Nathan Hepple and Brett Ablong were determined to bring something unique to the insurance legal landscape. Founded on NewLaw principles, HBA Legal would offer clients fast, efficient, cost effective and commercial savvy legal solutions. And it did.

2014

Two allied businesses created

Hepple and Ablong went on to create sister businesses Paratus Claims (TPA claims management) and Pillion (legal process and technology provider). Together, these three allied businesses offered a seamless approach to legal, claims and risk management – the first integrated offering of its kind in Australia.

2018

Reached 50+ employees

In October 2018, HBA hit a milestone in its growth journey with more than 50 employees.

2019

NSW Governor opens new Sydney office

Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AO QC, Governor of NSW, officially opened HBA’s new Sydney office in June 2019. The event doubled as a fundraiser for the Arts Law Centre of Australia.
Read more.

2020

Achieved gender balance around partnership table

Iona Sjahadi and Claire Tota were elevated from Senior Associates to Partners, resulting in genuine gender balance around the HBA partnership table.

2020

HBA becomes truly national

With a significant number of Canberra based clients loyal to HBA since the beginning, the time came to open a physical office in the nation’s capital. The move came just a few months after HBA secured a place on the Whole of Australian Government Legal Panel. Read more.

2020

HBA bucks the trend on COVID-19 measures

While BigLaw players across the board took measures including asking employees to take pay cuts, cancelling salary reviews, and reducing partner draws, HBA went against the grain. Read more.

2020

WFH becomes permanent option for employees

In May 2020, in what was a first for mid to large Australian law firms, HBA announced it would offer work from home arrangements to every employee who wanted it, in a post-COVID pandemic world. HBA was also one of the first firms to move all employees to WFH arrangements after COVID initially hit in early 2020. Read more.

2020

HBA purchased by Crawford & Company

In 2019 the HBA Group attracted the attention of the world’s largest publicly listed claims management business, Crawford & Company. Nathan and Brett sold the HBA Group to Crawford in late 2020, with all HBA employees retained in the business. It remained owned by Crawford for the four and a half years that followed and in that time Paratus Claims folded into Crawford TPA.

2025

Back to Partner ownership

On 30 June, the ownership of HBA Legal (and Pillion) transitioned from Crawford back to Nathan and Brett and a group of shareholding HBA Partners.

“At HBA, they go against the grain and do things a little differently. ​This is the defining ethos of HBA Legal. ​For years they have cultivated a craft of providing cradle-to-grave solutions for claims by encouraging a willingness to step down from the law firm ivory tower and work in lockstep with underwriting agents, ​claims handlers and insurers.

​They have consistently made good on their promise to achieve results for clients, while generating significant cost savings”

Tom Allen

Chief Executive, Prime, CBC Partnership

Our professional recognition

Awards & Accreditations

01

Best Law Firms (by Best Lawyers)

  • 2026

HBA Legal was included on the inaugural ‘Best Law Firms – Australia’ List (2026), presented by Best Lawyers.

At the core of Best Lawyers is its unique methodology and thorough research. To arrive at the awardee list, Best Lawyers surveys over 2,000 client references, almost 4,500 lawyers, and carries out close to 200 interviews with practice group and firm leaders.

02

Best Lawyers in Australia

  • 2027

  • 2026

  • 2025
  • 2024
  • 2023
  • 2022
  • 2021

  • 2020

HBA has been honoured by Best Lawyers since 2020.

Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Its methodology is designed to capture the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical region and legal practice area.

In the 2027 edition of Best Lawyers in Australia, a number of our experts were recognised for their expertise in:

  • Insurance Law
  • Personal Injury Litigation
  • Litigation
  • Motor Vehicle Law
  • Medical Negligence
  • Health & Aged Care Law

03

Doyle’s Guide

  • 2026

  • 2024
  • 2023
  • 2022
  • 2021

  • 2020

  • 2019

HBA and its lawyers have consistently featured in Doyle’s Guide since 2019.  Over the years, our firm and several of our lawyers have been recognised as experts in:

  • Medical Negligence & Malpractice
  • Public Liability
  • CTP & Motor Vehicle Accident
  • Workers’ Compensation (WA)
  • Workers’ Compensation & WorkCover (QLD)

04

Employer of Choice

  • 2026

  • 2020

  • 2019

In 2026, our workplace was named a 5-star Employer of Choice in Human Resources Director magazine. This award recognises companies across Australia and New Zealand that are setting the standard in workplace excellence. Prior to that, HBA was honoured on Australasian Lawyer’s Employer of Choice list in 2019 and again in 2020.

Firms were assessed based on initiatives across remuneration, training & professional development, career progression, diversity & inclusion, access to technology & resources, communication, leadership, work-life balance, health and wellbeing, reward & recognition, and recruitment methods.

05

Top Innovative Firm

  • 2019

HBA was recognised as one of a handful of firms to be included on the 2019 Innovative Firms list published by Australasian Lawyer.

06

Australian Law Awards
  • Employer of Choice 2020 (Finalist)
  • Insurance Team of the Year 2020 (Finalist)
  • NewLaw Firm of the Year 2019 (Finalist)
  • Insurance Team of the Year 2019 (Finalist)

07

Australasian Law Awards
  • Insurance Specialist Firm of the Year 2019 (Finalist)
  • Excellence in Technology & Innovation 2019 (Finalist)

08

Accredited Specialists in Personal Injury Law

To be an Accredited Specialist, a practitioner must pass a lengthy structured assessment process which requires them to draw on their existing knowledge and skills to demonstrate their competency and expertise in their chosen area of law. HBA’s Accredited Specialists in Personal Injury Law are:

  • Nathan Hepple, Partner
  • Natasha Fiodoroff, Special Counsel
  • Daniel Bui, Senior Associate
  • Andrew Gulyas, Senior Associate

ESG

Firmly committed to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) programs.

Organisations that take ESG seriously are proven to be higher performing compared to businesses without this focus.
But that’s not why we do it. ESG is engrained in who we are, simply because it’s the right thing to do.

Environment

We recognise that every person and every organisation have a responsibility to the planet. As such we have a formal Sustainability Commitment Policy.

While professional services organisations look very different to heavy emitting industries, we believe there are still so many things we can do to reduce our environmental footprint. Here’s a snapshot of our efforts:

  • We are paperless.

  • All offices are considered ‘green’ (National Australian Built Environment Rating System) with power saving initiatives embedded into lease arrangements.

  • Recycling of old IT equipment, printer cartridges and batteries.

  • Recycling and compost bins in office kitchens.

  • The use of environmentally friendly kitchen products including sprays and detergents.

  • Encouraging environmental sustainability and protection through our supply chain.

  • Environmental factors always considered when making purchase decisions.

  • As leases expire, continuing to choose offices with excellent public transport links in efforts to reduce commuting emissions.

Social

Corporate social responsibility is engrained in who we are. Our social impact efforts are aligned to both our firm’s Values and what matters most to our people.

  • Reconciliation

    HBA Legal has worked with Reconciliation Australia since 2022, marking our firm’s formal commitment to reconciliation with First Nations Australians.  While we [...]

    661

  • ProBono

    HBA is a signatory to the Australian Pro Bono Centre Target.  We have met and exceeded the target each year since 2023. [...]

    663

  • Employee Volunteering

    We offer our people paid volunteer leave enabling time off to support sustainability and social responsibility initiatives. It is common for our [...]

    665

  • Genuine
    Community

    Our approach to Corporate Sponsorship and Workplace Giving is aligned to what matters most to our people and our Values. We are [...]

    676

  • Diversity & Inclusion

    HBA has been a signatory to the Law Society’s Charter for the Advancement of Women since the beginning of 2021.   In 2020, [...]

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  • University Partnerships
    University Partnerships

    HBA is committed to playing a role in offering opportunities to university students for their first step into the competitive job market. [...]

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Governance

Our governance framework brings structure, accountability, and integrity to everything we do. It ensures our people and our firm uphold ethical and regulatory standards while staying firmly aligned with our values. Meeting our commitments to our people, our clients and the legal profession is paramount.

Corporate Structure

HBA Legal Pty Ltd is an incorporated legal practice (ILP) registered in Australia. As such, we use the term ‘partner’ to refer to an employee or director who is a lawyer with equivalent standing/ qualifications and in a leadership position within our business, as compared with a partner in a traditional equity partnership firm.

HBA is governed by a Board of Directors. Nathan Hepple is Chair of the Board.

Leadership

Our Executive Leadership Team is made up of seven shareholding Partners, two non-shareholding Partners, as well as senior leaders including our Chief People Officer, Business Operations Manager and Legal Operations Manager. 

Our firm is broadly organised across two practice groups: 

  • Casualty & Commercial, led by Partners Iona Sjahadi and Courtney Steele
  • Statutory Lines, led by Partners Brett Ablong and Claire Tota
Policies & Procedures

Our policies and procedures support our firm’s governance and include, but are not limited to:

  • Agile Working Policy
  • Business Continuity Plan
  • Diversity & Inclusion Policy
  • Quality Assurance Policy
  • Employee Training Policy
  • Parental Leave Policy
  • Pro Bono Program
  • Family & Domestic Violence Policy
  • Gender Equity Strategic Plan
  • Information Security Policy
  • Modern Slavery Policy
  • Respect @ Work Policy
  • Volunteering Policy
Talent Acquisition & Performance Management

Our formal Talent Acquisition Strategy ensures we source, attract, hire, grow and retain top talent.  

We strive to deliver a transparent, deliberate, and honest feedback culture, provide mentoring and coaching, leadership development opportunities, work-life balance accommodation and a clear pathway to learning and growth within HBA.

We are alive to the fact that what attracts a person to a particular role at HBA is often different to what retains them within our firm.

Security of Information

HBA is committed to safeguarding the security and confidentiality of client data. We apply contemporary security practices and internal policies to support secure data handling and implement preventative and proactive protections through trusted technology partners and systems.

Quality Management

HBA Legal’s quality management program has been developed to align with the quality management principles (QMPs) underlying ISO’s 9000 and 9001 quality management standards.