Stuart Hetherington

A partner in the insurance team since 2005, Stuart has 45 years' experience in insurance and commercial litigation with particular expertise in maritime and logistics law.  

Stuart's clients include some of Australia's largest insurers as well as London and international market insurers. He began his career acting for most of the International Group of P&I Clubs and major participants in the Australian marine insurance market managing liability claims and hull and cargo claims. He instructed overseas lawyers in cases conducted in the Privy Council in the United Kingdom and in the US Supreme Court. He also instructed interstate lawyers in the Supreme Courts of Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia and instructed counsel in leading cases in the High Court and Federal Court of Australia and Supreme Court of New South Wales.  

Stuart continues to act for the above markets in other commercial litigation cases and in a significant High Court constitutional law case.  

He advises clients in the transport and logistics industry on a range of admiralty, cargo liability, hull and liability claims areas. He also advises clients on legislative changes, policy and documentary drafting and interpretation.

Stuart continues to act for the above markets in other commercial litigation cases and in a significant High Court constitutional law case.  

He advises clients in the transport and logistics industry on a range of admiralty, cargo liability, hull and liability claims areas. He also advises clients on legislative changes, policy and documentary drafting and interpretation. 

He was President of the Comité Maritime International (CMI) from 2012 to 2018. Stuart chaired CMI International Working Groups on reform of international maritime law in areas such as Places of Refuge for Ships and the Salvage Convention. He has worked extensively on other CMI projects: the Judicial Sale of Ships and the Rotterdam Rules cargo liability Convention amongst others. In doing so, he has liaised with the Australian Government, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), UNCITRAL and other international organisations.  

Stuart regularly writes articles and book reviews for legal and maritime journals. Most notably he has written book reviews for Shipping Australia on recent works about Captains Cook and Phillip and Alexander Hamilton. His major critique of the UK Supreme Court's controversial decision on the burden of proof in cargo litigation in the Volcafe case was published in the Journal of International Maritime Law.