Raffaela Pisano
|Special Counsel

Raffaela (Raff) Pisano has a strong commercial and insurance litigation as well as policy drafting practice.

Raff works for corporate clients in the insurance and financial services industries.

Raff's commercial and insurance litigation practice focuses on professional indemnity and directors and officers' liability claims. She also has significant experience in insolvency and banking and securities litigation, which has included a full range of applications in the Supreme Court commercial and corporate lists and the Federal Court associated with various Corporations Law matters. She also has significant experience in insurance policy drafting.

Raff brings to her practice work practical insurance experience, having worked with Sedgwick Group Plc in London and as an insurance claims investigator for Sterling Associates Pty Ltd.

Her practice spans all court jurisdictions, with a focus on the superior courts, and involving alternative dispute resolution.

Raff's long standing clients include Catholic Church Insurances Ltd, Marsh Pty Ltd, Resource Underwriting Pacific Pty Ltd and ANZcover Insurance Pty Ltd.

An experienced speaker, Raff has delivered seminar papers to a variety of professional associations, including the Australian Corporate Lawyers' Association and the Australian Professional Indemnity Group, as well as contributing to a number of insurance-related journals.

Raff is the immediate past President of the Victorian Branch of the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance, a member of the Comcover Advisory Council,a member of the committee of the Victorian branch of the Australian Insurance Law Association Inc,a member of the committee and Public Officer of the Victorian Reinsurance Discussion Group Inc and a member of the committee of the General Claim Forum. Raff is also a member of the Australian Professional Indemnity Group Inc, the Law Institute of Victoria and the National Product Liability Association Inc.

Expertise

Professional Background

Publications & Media

Areas of expertise include:

Corporate and Commercial Disputes

Raff has particular expertise in commercial insurance litigation with the focus of her work in this area being directors and officers’ liability and professional indemnity claims. In addition to this, Raff has widespread experience in many other areas of commercial disputes work. This includes joint venture, partnership and quasi partnership disputes, contract disputes including sports management, credit, dealership and franchise, licence and lease agreements, misrepresentation, passing off and design infringement cases, restraint of trade disputes, defamation, trespass, nuisance and occupiers’ liability claims, adverse possession claims, testator’s family maintenance and probate disputes, cy-pres trust applications, resulting and constructive trust disputes, motor vehicle property damage and debt recovery claims.
General Insurance Advisory

Raff frequently works with underwriters to develop insurance products. This includes drafting the full suite of claims made policies in the financial lines arena. She also assists corporate clients with annual reviews of their insurance programs, particularly their professional indemnity and directors and officers liability insurances. She also assists corporate and government clients with the review and due diligence of their rights and obligations under the liability, insurance and indemnity provisions of their contracts with third parties.
Insolvency and Reconstruction

Raff has significant experience in insolvency and banking and securities litigation. This has included a full range of applications in the Supreme Court commercial and corporate lists and the Federal Court associated with various Corporations Law matters.
Insurance Claims

Raff's expertise in commercial insurance litigation spans property damage claims, including fire and business interruption, fidelity guarantee claims, including solicitors guarantee fund and bankers blanket bond claims, public liability and product liability claims involving property damage and economic loss. The major emphasis of her work in this area is professional indemnity and directors and officers’ liability claims acting for and against accountants, engineers, insurance brokers, solicitors, property valuers, building surveyors, municipal councils, real estate agents, architects, company directors and officers and their insurers. This has included acting for various professionals in disciplinary proceedings brought against them by bodies such as the Solicitor’s Disciplinary Tribunal, the Estate Agents Board, the Banking Ombudsman and Victoria Legal Aid.