Richard Smith
Richard has in excess of 40 years’ experience in commercial and civil litigation acting for national and international insurers, large corporations and government agencies.
Richard has strategised some of the largest and most complex, high profile cases in South Australia and the Northern Territory.
Richard’s practice covers a diverse range of disputes across all classes of insurance and includes advice on indemnity issues and policy coverage. Richard also frequently advises on professional regulatory issues and appears at disciplinary hearings.
Richard has been recognised as ‘Preeminent South Australian Defendant Public Liability Lawyer’ by Doyle’s Guide to the Australian Legal Profession 2017, a ‘Leading South Australian Defendant Professional Indemnity Lawyer’ in Doyle’s Guide 2015, a ‘Recommended Leading South Australian Medical and Malpractice Lawyer’ in Doyle’s Guide 2017, and ‘Recommended Leading Compulsory Third Party Insurance Lawyer’ in Doyle’s Guide 2017. Richard has also been named in the 2018 Best LawyersTM Australia for Professional Malpractice Litigation Law, Insurance Law and Personal Injury Litigation.
Experience
Richard’s recent experience includes:
- An Insolvency practitioner: Acting for an insurer of an Insolvency Practitioner in a Supreme Court of South Australia action and successfully defending the claim against the Practitioner for damages for alleged breach of duty in conduct of Liquidation;
- An Insurer: Acting for insurer in respect of recovery of multiple property losses arising out of catastrophic bushfire;
- A liability insurer: Acting for liability insurer of a retail food business in defence of class action claims for damages for personal injury arising out of product provided to customers;
- Insurers: Acting for insurers in defence of catastrophic and complex personal injury claims arising out of motor vehicle accidents and liability claims in South Australia and the Northern Territory;
- An Insurer: Advising an insurer of a church authority in respect of indemnity issues and in defence of multiple claims for sexual abuse; and
- Major Shopping Centre: Acting for major shopping centre in defence of claim for damages for personal injuries, involving issues relating to delegable duties of care for occupiers’ of large shopping complexes (Stringer v Westfield Shopping Centre Management Co Pty Ltd [2017] SAFCSC 138).