Stephen Williams was admitted to practice in 1992. He is a partner in the Insurance practice group. Stephen joined Kott Gunning in 2007 having previously been a partner at Pynt & Partners and at Freehills.
His practice covers a wide spread of insurance-related matters, almost invariably for defendants (insurers and employers), principally in the workers' compensation/employers' indemnity, personal injury and public liability areas. This practice includes straightforward personal injury claims where both liability and quantum are disputed as well as more complex disputes involving multiple dates of injury/multiple employer/insurer situations and indemnity disputes. Stephen also has asbestos litigation experience.
Stephen’s clients include insurers, self-insurers and industrial and commercial corporations. Stephen has the following specific experience:
- Practised almost exclusively in insurance law since 1986;
- Acted as instructing solicitor and appeared as counsel in trials in the District and Supreme Courts of Western Australia;
- Appeared as counsel in the Coroner’s Court; Appeared as defence counsel in WorkSafe prosecutions;
- Acted as counsel in applications to the Workers’ Compensation Board, Conciliation & Review Directorate and Dispute Resolution Directorate of WorkCover WA and in appeals to the Compensation Magistrate’s Court, Commissioner and to the Supreme Court;
- Acted for insurance companies on matters involving insurance claims;
- Acted for self-insurers and corporations on matters involving insurance claims, including risk management/serious incident investigation; and Formal mediation training.