The Australian Desk - London Edition
22 July 2026
Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Australia Desk (London Edition). Published twice a year, this update provides insights into the trends and themes shaping the Australian insurance market, together with the latest news from Sparke Helmore’s national team.
We commenced 2026 with a series of visits to London, reinforcing our commitment to maintaining strong relationships with insurers and brokers and ensuring we remain closely connected to the issues that matter most to you. These face-to-face engagements also enable us to help keep you informed about Australian specific risks and regulatory expectations. In April, Marie-Clare Elder and Kerri Thomas travelled to London to meet with clients and contacts with a particular focus on discussing the latest developments in the Health sector and the regulatory pressures influencing insurers, brokers and healthcare providers. This was followed in May by a visit from Mark Gray-Spencer, who spent time with London aviation clients discussing emerging risks, claims trends and the evolving liability landscape for carriers, airports and aviation service providers.
David Kerwin and Dino Liistro will be in London in late July and are looking forward to meeting with Financial Lines clients. They will discuss how corporations and financial institutions are navigating an evolving regulatory environment, increasing class action exposures, and the continued evolution of D&O risks. With insurance market conditions remaining relatively soft, insurers are closely monitoring these developments and their potential impact on the risk landscape.
In this edition we report on developments across key market sectors, including Aviation, Maritime, D&O, Professional Indemnity, Property & Construction and Casualty. We explore emerging trends in claims and litigation, notable decisions and their implications, and shifts in claimant behaviour. We also examine jurisdiction specific developments and the broader themes we expect London insurers, brokers and underwriters to be watching closely.
