Phillips Fox has appointed Robert Crittenden to its insurance and risk management team in Sydney. He joins Phillips Fox from Moray & Agnew. The firm said Crittenden has a wealth of experience in the field of insurance law, gained over more than 18 years acting for insurers renowned for providing cost effective, commercial advice on public and product liability claims.

Allens Arthur Robinson has appointed two new senior associates to its litigation and disputes resolution team. Robert Carey is returning to AAR after spending five-and-a-half years in London, where he completed a LLM degree at the London School of Economics. He also worked for Clyde & Co in its reinsurance and international risk group for four years. Justin Coss joins AAR after spending nine years practising in London. Coss held several positions in London, the most recent at a Danish insurer, Tryg-Baltica International, now known as Chevanstell Ltd, as general counsel of its London insurance operations.

Cowley Hearne Lawyers has appointed two new principals, Craig Higginbotham and Genevieve Staff, both of whom are joining the firm’s dispute resolution practice group. Staff has 20 years experience managing large, complex contractual and commercial matters, including building and construction disputes, and was previously a senior litigator with one of Australia’s large listed companies. Higginbotham is an accredited specialist in commercial litigation law and acts in cases involving a broad range of areas of law including the Trade Practices Act, contract, franchise, property and IP. Both Higginbotham and Staff were previously partners of Sydney firm Cutler Hughes & Harris.

Blake Dawson Waldron has appointed Ross McClymont to the Melbourne practice of the firm’s restructuring and insolvency group. Formerly a partner with Deacons, he has more than 13 years experience specialising in the area of insolvency and reconstruction. McClymont is joined by senior associate Michael Sloan, who has relocated from the firm’s Sydney office. The firm has also appointed Catherine Gobbo, who was a member of the Victorian Bar before joining BDW in the commercial litigation practice.

Deacons has appointed four new partners from outside the firm. Andrew Stewart joins Deacons’ commercial dispute resolution group from the Nine Network where he has been responsible for pre-publication advice, defamation and copyright litigation nationally. Andrew Sherman joins the Melbourne property environmental planning construction and engineering group. The firm said he is a renowned expert in water law. Elisa de Wit joins the property environmental planning construction and engineering group in Melbourne. She is an experienced environmental and planning lawyer with 15 years experience. Fadi Khoury has been appointed to the financial services group in Sydney bringing experience in managed investments and specialising in property funds.