Joy Horwood

Joy Horwood has practiced for over 10 years and specialises in complex commercial litigation and insurance law primarily in the areas of professional indemnity, financial services, building & construction, and mining & resources. She acted in disputes involving local and state government bodies, as well as a wide range of professionals including solicitors, doctors, accountants, architects, engineers and their insurers. She has defended claims ranging from negligence to breach of statutory duties including misrepresentation. Following the GFC, Ms Horwood acted for a number of financial services professionals including financial planners, securities advisers and mortgage brokers, and insurers, and defended allegations ranging from negligence and breaches of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), to serious allegations of breach of fiduciary duty and fraud. She has assisted clients in defending or resolving disputes arising out of the collapse of the Trio Capital Group of Companies, the administration of responsible entities and managers of various managed investment agribusiness schemes including Great Southern, Willmott Forests, and Gunns Plantations, as well as the under-performance of capital protected market based products. Ms Horwood has also acted in numerous disputes involving builders and their suppliers and contractors, and a number of professionals within the building and construction industry including architects and engineers, and their insurers. She regularly assists clients to prepare applications for adjudication under the Construction Contracts Act 2004 (WA) and to prepare responses to such applications. She also conducts and defends multiparty litigation, which is typical of construction disputes, and is well versed in the statutory framework giving rise to proportionate liability, particularly the Civil Liability Act 2002 (WA). In addition to litigated matters, Ms Horwood regularly advises clients on contract interpretation particularly relating to indemnities and claims for delay and acceleration costs, proportionate liability and statutory interpretation.