Partners Matthew Gerathy and Rory Smith have joined the firm’s Sydney team with a specialist group that significantly expands what the firm offers insurers, self-insured organisations, government agencies and commercial clients.
Both highly experienced insurance lawyers, Matthew and Rory offer decades of insurer-side defence, recovery and coverage experience to clients facing the most complex injury and property claims in Australia.
They will work alongside National General Liability partner Rebecca Stevens, who has led this practice and served clients in this area for over 30 years.
Two new partners to lead Carter Newell's General Liability growth
Matthew leads the insurance law and claims disputes capability, supported by the additional seven-person team he brings, meanwhile Rory offers specialist personal injury leadership.
Together with Special Counsel Janet Abboud, Special Counsel Elizabeth Allen, Senior Associate Amy Warren and Solicitor Will Hopkins, they bring more than 80 years of combined experience.
Carter Newell CEO Marc Walker said:
“This expansion is about our clients. For more than three decades, insurers, self-insured organisations, government agencies and commercial clients have relied on our general liability expertise. Bringing Matthew, Rory and their team to Carter Newell ensures our capability keeps pace with what those clients need in the New South Wales market. I am proud to welcome them, and I am confident the depth they bring will strengthen client outcomes for many years to come.”
Matthew Gerathy, Partner: Over 25 years of insurance defence for complex claims
With more than 25 years’ experience in insurance law and claims disputes, Matthew acts for defendants in personal injury, first and third property damage, and recoveries litigation. He holds notable depth in catastrophic personal injury claims, building and construction claims and occupier’s liability claims for multinational head contractors, national subcontractors, government and private occupiers, national service providers, road authority cases and religious institutions.
Many of Matthew’s clients are self-insured, or carry significant self-insured retentions. For those clients, every dollar of defence spend and every reserve decision lands directly on their balance sheet. His practice is built around that reality: understanding the client’s business, containing costs, setting appropriate Reserves quickly and accurately and identifying the best strategy early.
Matthew’s experience covers the full toolkit of a complex defence practice. He handles contribution and indemnity claims between joint tortfeasors, complex multi-party insurance disputes, policy coverage questions, and the interpretation of contractual indemnity and insurance procurement clauses. He is an advocate with a strong record of contested litigation and alternative dispute resolution. He is admitted in New South Wales and the High Court of Australia, and aside from New South Wales he has conducted large and complex litigation in Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and South Australia.
Speaking about his team’s move, Matthew said:
“My team and I are excited to be joining Carter Newell’s market-leading general liability practice. Our focus has always been understanding each client’s business, attention to detail, containing costs, setting Reserves accurately, and the early identification of the best strategy for each claim. I look forward to doing that with a firm that backs it.”
Rory Smith, Partner: accredited specialist in personal injury
Rory Smith joins Carter Newell as a partner and specialist in personal injury, a credential awarded by the Law Society of New South Wales that recognises proven expertise in the field. He has more than 15 years of experience in insurance defence litigation, including high-volume portfolios, catastrophic injury claims, multi-party matters and property loss claims.
His practice covers public liability, property damage, subrogated recoveries, insurance coverage disputes, Australian Financial Complaints Authority matters and fraud-related claims. He is recognised in Best Lawyers in Australia 2026 and 2027 for Personal Injury Litigation and Professional Malpractice Litigation. Rory’s expertise is anchored in experience, having completed two secondments with the Major Loss teams of a major insurer, giving him direct insight into how insurers assess and manage large losses.
Speaking about his new role, Rory said:
“I am looking forward to bringing my experience in personal injury and insurance defence to Carter Newell’s clients, particularly the insurers and self-insured organisations who need early, practical answers on complex claims.”
Seven join with Matthew Gerathy, managing complex and multi-party claims
Matthew leads a dedicated team of seven that have followed him to Carter Newell. These professionals bring experience across the full range of general liability work, from catastrophic injury and multi-party disputes to historic insurance indemnity claims. Matthew’s team established working relationships and a shared approach to general liability work join the firm intact.
They are joined by a team of specialist lawyers in their fields. The strength of this expansion is depth as well as leadership. Together, the team covers catastrophic injury, multi-party disputes, construction, property damage, insurance recovery, policy coverage, dust diseases and historic indemnity claims.
JANET ABBOUD, SPECIAL COUNSEL
Janet has almost 30 years of experience in insurance dispute resolution, with Appellate work in the Court of Appeal of New South Wales and the High Court of Australia. Her practice includes dust diseases, and she has been a Contributions Assessor to the Dust Diseases Tribunal of New South Wales since December 2018.
ELIZABETH ALLEN, SPECIAL COUNSEL
Elizabeth is dual-qualified in New South Wales and England and Wales, with more than 14 years of post-qualification experience. She specialises in multi-party and high-volume personal injury matters and was lead lawyer on two separate multimillion-dollar insurance indemnity recovery actions, each involving more than 100 underlying claims.
AMY WARREN, SENIOR ASSOCIATE
Amy’s work includes apportionment of building and construction claims between head contractors and subcontractors, Sydney Light Rail claims, and historic insurance indemnity disputes involving policies from the 1950s and 1960s.
WILL HOPKINS, SOLICITOR
Will acts for government agencies, statutory authorities, insurers, building and construction companies and commercial clients in public liability, property damage and recovery matters, and handled more than 250 Local Court matters before joining.
Three paralegals complete the seven-person team to have arrived with Matthew.
What the expansion means for clients
Carter Newell’s expanded team is purpose-built to support insurers and self-insured organisations manage the central challenge of claims that are growing in both complexity and cost.
It benefits the full life cycle of a general liability claim, from early assessment and reserving through to litigation, appeal and recovery. Clients gain deeper bench strength in personal injury, catastrophic injury, construction, property damage, insurance recovery and dust diseases.
For self-insured clients, the team brings a defence approach built around the client’s own balance sheet, with early reserving, careful cost control and attention to the business issues that matter most to the organisation.
For insurers, the team adds significant experienced defence and recovery capability, along with the policy coverage and indemnity expertise needed when a claim turns on which policy responds. For government agencies, statutory authorities, religious institutions and commercial clients, the team brings direct experience of the large, multi-party claims these organisations face.
About Carter Newell's General Liability practice
Carter Newell’s general liability practice has operated nationally for more than three decades. The practice advises insurers, self-insured organisations, government agencies and commercial clients on some of the most significant injury and property damage claims in Australia.
