Alex Haslam

Principal, Sydney Direct: +61 2 8240 8028 ahaslam@gclegal.com.au

Alex is an insurance, construction and commercial litigation specialist. Since 1998, he has acted on behalf of a wide range of organisations in Australia, London and New Zealand. Alex’s practice focuses on defending claims and providing insurance coverage advice on matters involving professional negligence, insured construction disputes, directors and officers liability, management liability, cyber liability, defamation, warranty and indemnity and crime/fidelity. Alex frequently acts as defence or coverage counsel on class actions and other large litigation.

Allied to this, Alex has a construction and commercial litigation practice, in which he primarily acts, for owners, developers and major contractors in relation to building and construction disputes, ranging from claims for defects to apartment buildings to complex contractual claims involving multiple parties, as well as for corporate entities on claims brought against them and claim, including recovery claims, on their behalf.

Experienced in managing the commercial and business priorities of underwriters, re-insurers and insurers through his previous role at AON in London, he now applies the same rigorous pragmatic and commercial approach to all of his insurer and non-insurer clients alike to meet their business objectives. Alex is also known for his extensive legal knowledge and, when the circumstances require it, his forceful approach to litigation.

With wide-ranging experience in insurance and reinsurance policy advice and disputes, Alex has advised insurers on issues arising out of various sections of the Insurance Contracts Act 1984 (Cth), including sections 13, 21, 28(3), 33, 37, 40(3), 45, 51, 54 and 56.

Alex regularly delivers informative and practical seminars and papers to clients on topics as diverse as privacy law amendments, defamation, debenture trustees, exclusion clauses, advocates’ immunity, cyber risk, personal costs orders, risk management and contractual indemnities.

Alex publishes in the Law Society of New South Wales Journal and other industry publications, presents in video and podcasts formats, and contributes articles to, and is the editor of Gilchrist Connell’s industry newsletter ‘Limelight’.

Articles and Presentations

Alex Haslam & Richard Mitry, Defteros v Google LLC [2021] VSCA 167 – BenchTV 2021

Alex Haslam, Tony Reynolds, How law firms can mitigate the risk of cyber attacks, (2021) 78 LSJ 80

Presentation to brokers on ASIC investigations May 2021

Alex speaks with the Australian Financial Review about the current hard insurance market – featured article – A tailored approach to managing risk, Australian Financial Review Jan 27, 2021

Alex Haslam, Sarah Wood, Elissa Baxter (General Counsel Lawcover) Lawcover Podcast – Employment risks in the aftermath of claims 2020

Presentation to clients on the new Practice Note SC CL July 2020

Lawyers want virtual hearings to stay in a post-COVID world Lawyerly, June 11, 2020

Common fund orders made in increasing class action market Lawyerly May 15, 2020

Alex Haslam, Elissa Baxter, (General Counsel Lawcover) Lawcover Podcast – The cost of Defamation 2019

Presentation to insurers on misleading and deceptive conduct – the growing trend 2018

Alex Haslam, Elissa Baxter, Limitation periods in equity – taking an analogous approach (2018) Issue 48 (September) LSJ 78

Presentation to insurers – Fundamentals of D&O insurance, 2018

Alex Haslam & Elissa Baxter, Defamation claims against solicitors BenchTV, 2018

Seminar series to insurers on Insurance Contracts Act 1984, Professional Standards and developments in PI and D&O and recent case law, 2017

Clarity on offers of compromise – Case note; Whitney v Dream Developments Pty Ltd (2013) 51(7) LSJ 44

Presentation on Cyber Risk