Beth O'Connor
Special CounselAbout Beth
Beth is a member of our Maritime & Transport team, with a wealth of experience in tortious and contractual disputes.
She has a particular interest in the role that litigation can play in the environmental space, having submitted a dissertation for her LLM exploring circumvention of the channelling and damages provisions of the 1992 Civil Liability Convention on Oil Pollution. More recently, she has written on climate change, looking at the rise in novel duty of care claims and the risks facing the insurance industry.
Her peers have recognised her as One to Watch in the Best Lawyers’ list for Insurance Law (2024, 2023, 2022).
What she does
Beth advises on maritime and transport disputes, including those involving marine pollution, cargo, property damage, and insurance cover (both under the Marine Insurance Act and the Insurance Contracts Act). She also provides advice on non-contentious matters.
Who she works with
Beth works with all levels of government, marine insurers, P&I Clubs and transport companies.
Qualifications
Beth holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Queensland, as well as a Masters of Shipping Law (Distinction) from the University of Cape Town.
Life before Sparkes
From Brisbane to London to Sydney, Beth has acted for individuals, financial institutions, major insurers, professionals, and transport companies. Her experience includes defending marine, professional indemnity, healthcare, product liability and property damage claims. Additionally, she has acted in recoveries and coronial inquests, and provided coverage advice across product lines.
Outside of law, Beth gained commercial experience as a consultant to a South African start-up, assisting with its expansion strategy. She has also produced content for SMEs and not-for-profits.
Life outside of Sparkes
Beth subscribes to a myriad of millennial cliches—think wine, food, music and travel. She also loves being outdoors, whether hiking, ocean swimming, or trying her best to wrangle a surf ski around Sydney Harbour without causing a maritime incident.
Despite living in NSW for longer than she’d care to admit, Beth remains an ardent supporter of Queensland’s sporting teams. She is, however, far more reserved when it comes to picking a side between Australia and her motherland (England).