Mark Doepel

Special Counsel

Mark has extensive experience in professional indemnity litigation, directors & officers liability, reinsurance and clinical negligence matters. He has practiced in this area of the law for over 17 years both in London and in Sydney. His experience includes the following:

successfully defended a negligence action brought against a New South Wales based barrister, who was admitted as senior counsel in a number of states. The action related to a major commercial property development in Sydney. The claim against senior counsel was discontinued;
successfully defended a number of directors of a major national dairy corporation in a claim brought under the Trade Practices Act and related fair trading provisions for alleged misleading and deceptive conduct in contract negotiations. The claim was abandoned by the class of plaintiffs;
acted for multi party reinsurers in relation to the run-off of the entirety of an existing major reinsurance portfolio. The matter involved reinsurance claims, commutations, international arbitrations and multi-party dealings. The substantial whole of the reinsurance portfolio was run-off in twenty-four months;
acted for a leading private hospital entity in respect of an intended multi-party action based on alleged failed sterilization procedures at the hospital. Matter was successfully resolved in a timely fashion without recourse to litigation;
acting for a maxillofacial surgeon in proceedings brought in the Supreme Court of New South Wales. The claim was eventually abandoned by the plaintiff.
advising both London company market and Lloyd’s insurers in relation to matters arising under the Insurance Contracts Act, the Corporations Law and associated legislation.

Mark also has a wide range of experience both in Australia and internationally in speaking and writing on all aspects of insurance law. Most recently, Mark was a key note speaker at the Lloyd’s of London liability conference held in Sydney.

Mark also conducts an extensive annual course on the Elements of Professional Indemnity Insurance run for the Australia & New Zealand Institute of Insurance & Finance and attended by many representatives of the insurance and reinsurance industries.

Prior to joining Sparke Helmore, Mark was a partner with Minter Ellison for six years and a partner with Kennedys for two years. Mark is admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales having spent four years working in London for a major Insurance law firm.

Mark is currently completing his Master of Laws at the University of Sydney.

Memberships

ANZIIF
AILA
APIG
NSW Reinsurance Discussion Group