Melissa has practiced for over 20 years in insurance litigation and insurance advisory work across New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Australia.  She has undertaken work in most areas of insurance including first party property claims under both material damage and consumer policies, reinsurance disputes, life insurance, liability policies and financial lines.

After her admission in Queensland, Melissa spent over 6 years in London working in the insurance and reinsurance team of a firm in the City of London, and then as in-house counsel at a Lloyd’s managing agency.

In 2010 Melissa moved with her New Zealand husband to Auckland, and commenced practice with Fee Langstone’s predecessor firm.  During this time, she advised on coverage issues arising out of the Christchurch earthquake sequence and had a particular focus on drafting and reviewing policy wordings.

Melissa then returned to in-house roles, including as a claims’ solicitor for a managing agency, responsible for managing a full range of professional indemnity and professional disciplinary claims.  She also spent over 6 years with a large insurance group where she provided legal support to general and life insurance brands.

One of Melissa’s strengths is the depth of her in-house experience.  In these roles Melissa has been a trusted advisor to claims, product, underwriting and customer teams and valued for her pragmatic and commercial advice. 

Work highlights in NZ

• Significant experience advising in relation to complex policy coverage issues in relation to first party property covers, life and professional indemnity claims.

• Acted as instructing solicitor in a series of decisions culminating in Catherwood v Asteron Life [2023] NZCA 357.

• Advised in relation to numerous policy wordings drafted in plain English, including the first policy wording to be granted the Write Mark Plus Standard for plain English drafting.

• Assisted in responses to the joint Reserve Bank of New Zealand and Financial Markets Authority Conduct and Culture reviews.

• Advised in relation to compliance with relevant financial services legislation including Financial Services Legislation Amendment Act, Conduct of Financial Institutions and Financial Markets Conduct Act, and assisted in the operationalisation of fair conduct principles.

• Advised in relation to product enhancements to suites of life insurance products including trauma, total and permanent disability, income protection and life covers, as well as related product collateral.

• Provided legal support in the design and development of on-line platforms for the sale of insurance, including compliance with all relevant financial services legislation, privacy legislation, fair conduct principles and applicable distribution agreements.

• Represented insurers in defending complaints before the IFSO, including at Review stage.

• Worked as part of multiple insurer groups providing submissions in relation to regulatory change, including in relation to insurance contract law reform, other relevant legislation and in relation to EQC’s new dispute resolution scheme.  Also worked as part of the group negotiating changes to the Natural Disaster Resolution Agreement (NDRA) between insurers and EQC.

• Advised in relation to numerous portfolio simplification projects to move customers onto alternative policy wordings and consolidate the number of on-sale products.

• Drafted new policy exclusions to align with reinsurer-imposed treaty exclusions, including in relation to international sanctions and cyber.

Work highlights in the UK

•   Advised a Lloyds’ syndicate in relation to a portfolio of international arbitrations and litigation in the United States, France and England, involving the resolution of disputes in excess of US$100 million.

• Acted for a major global financial institution to assist it in securing policy coverage under a suite of policies with respect to alleged claims in excess of US$500 million following the collapse of a hedge fund.

• Advised in relation to complex indemnity and coverage issues that arose following a High Court judgment in a £25 million construction management professional negligence claim. 

• Prepared and advised on service agreements, cover holder agreements, novation agreements and policy wordings.

Professional Associations

• New Zealand Law Society

• New Zealand Insurance Law Association

• Auckland Women Lawyers’ Association