Vicky Kossaris
Director
Vicky Kossaris is a highly experienced lawyer who advises on a wide range of litigation, alternative dispute resolution and policy matters. Vicky’s two decades of experience has been gained both in private and government practice.
Vicky assists clients with identifying and managing liability and risk, and advises on strategies to proactively manage and resolve litigated and contested matters. Her expertise includes advising on construction and engineering defect matters, security of payment adjudications, commercial mediations, expert determination processes and insurance policy coverage and litigation. Vicky has advised on several complex and long-running disputes in relation to large public infrastructure projects.
Vicky was an appointed member of the Northern Territory Workers’ Rehabilitation and Compensation Advisory Council during 2015 and 2016, and previously served as Secretary of the Northern Territory Australian Insurance Law Association (AILA).
- Advising John Holland Pty Ltd (when part of the Leighton Group) in relation to a seven-year Supreme Court action brought against it by the Northern Territory government for the allegedly defective refurbishment of the Alice Springs hospital. The defect allegations exceeded 4,000 individual items across all services and the alternative solution fire engineering of the hospital. The litigation included 18 third parties and three fourth parties, as the contractor had to seek contribution from multiple offshore reinsurance syndicates, and its consultants and subcontractors. The litigation was successfully resolved after a five-week expert conclave.
- Advising John Holland (Territoria Civil) in relation to several multimillion-dollar adjudication application disputes arising out of the dredging works during the construction of the Darwin Marine Supply Base.
- Advising national insurers on the successful resolution of significant and complex statutory compensation personal injury claims, including a portfolio of workers compensation claims in relation to UGL’s EPC contract for the Ichthys LNG project and Charles Darwin University.
- Advising insurers on legal and policy implications arising from the use of “mutual indemnity” and “hold harmless” liability provisions in contracts for large construction and infrastructure projects, including the Ichthys LNG project.
- Advising a large privately owned construction company in litigation before the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory and the Federal Court regarding union rights of entry to construction worksites under the Fair Work Act and the Northern Territory’s occupational health and safety regime.
- Advising the developer of a high-rise apartment complex in relation to a multiparty building defect and misleading and deceptive conduct dispute before the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory.
- Advising on commercial and general insurance aspects of contractor and commercial clients, and policy coverage and indemnity issues.
- Advising a major insurer on its significant workers’ compensation claims portfolio for the multinational EPC contractor constructing the AU$1.6 billion Darwin LNG Plant.
Education
- Charles Darwin University, LL.B., 2000
Admissions
- High Court of Australia, 2007
- Supreme Court of Victoria, 2005
- Supreme Court of the Northern Territory, 2000