Hannes Marais

Full Profile

Hannes is a Partner in the Professional & Financial Disputes team, based in Brisbane.  

Hannes’ primary focus is on litigating claims and commercial disputes as defence counsel in the engineering, construction, and financial lines (auditing) space.  

Hannes further provides coverage advice on various aspects of short term policies to local and global insurers, and re-insurers alike primarily in respect of professional indemnity (engineering, construction, and financial lines), warranty and indemnity (buyer side), and directors and officers liability policies.  

Hannes is admitted to practice in Australia and South Africa, and has litigated claims in several jurisdictions in Australia and Africa. 

Experience

• Professional Indemnity – Representing insured professionals as defence counsel in a broad range of claims (contractual, tort and breach of Australian Consumer Law) against engineers, architects, certifiers, auditors, financial advisors, and investment fund managers as well as advising on coverage for large and complex claims by engineering, construction and financial professionals.
• Warranty and Indemnity (Buyer side) - Advising on coverage and dealing with various large and complex claims for alleged breaches of seller warranties regarding material contracts, accounting errors and non-payment of liabilities, and includes transactions for the sale of shares as well as purchasing the target entity as a going concern. 
• Directors & Officers – Advising on coverage and dealing with large and complex claims under both insuring clauses A (directors and officers) and B (company reimbursement) as well as considering coverage under the crime extension.