Chris is a senior insurance and construction lawyer with almost 20 years experience as both in-house counsel and private practitioner. He is a trusted advisor to a number of Australia’s leading property & construction players, including listed & unlisted property funds, developers, builders, contractors and financiers. Chris has significant expertise and experience in the design and management of corporate insurance, self-insurance and surety programs, the drafting of project finance and construction contracts and the effective resolution of large insurance claims.
Prior to founding Saltwater Insurance Consultants in 2007, Chris held in-house roles with TNT Australia Group (Director Legal Services & Company Secretary) and Multiplex Limited (now Brookfield / Brookfield Multiplex) (Group Manager Insurance & Litigation) and practised in the insurance & litigation teams at a leading national law firm and one of Australia’s leading boutique insurance firms. Chris also spent time on secondment to Mobil Oil Australia during that company’s global merger with Exxon.
Chris has advised on or been deeply engaged in the design & management of the insurance programs on many significant, high profile high value Australian and International projects including:
- Macquarie Bank Building, King St Wharf, Sydney
- World Square complex, including the Ernst & Young Tower, Australian Taxation Office HQ and smaller buildings and carparks, Sydney
- KPMG Tower, King St Wharf, Sydney
- American Express Tower, King St Wharf, Sydney
- Wembley National Stadium, London
- Burj Dubai Residences, Dubai
- Dubai Marina Developments, Dubai
- Auckland Viaduct Development, New Zealand
- BHP Billiton Headquarters, Perth
- Moma Mineral Sands Project, Mozambique
- Bayu Undan Riser Project, Timor Sea
- Melbourne Convention Centre PPP, Melbourne
- Long Bay Prison Forensic Hospital PPP, Sydney
- Red Cross Facility, Sydney
- Cochlear Limited Headquarters & Manufacturing Facility, Sydney
- National BroadBand Network Wireless Rollout
- NewActon Nishi (West), Canberra
- Woolworths Regional Distribution Centres, Perth & SouthWest Western Australia
- Proximity on Queens, Melbourne
- Sydney Olympic Stadium / Stadium Australia Redevelopment, Sydney
- Lang Park Redevelopment, Queensland
- Indooroopilly Shopping Centre Redevelopment, Queensland
- Qantas Maintenance Facility, Brisbane Airport, Queensland
Chris has provided due diligence advice and reports on a range of corporate transactions, including reports to banks as Security Trustee, and assisted clients with liaison and management of Security Trustee Requirements from other large Australian and international banks. Chris acts directly for an international private bank in advising on the insurance arrangements and requirements for project financing. As an extension of this style of work, Chris has prepared and presented detailed management reports to boards of publicly listed companies on the management and operation of their corporate insurance programs and broker relationships.
Chris has acted in, advised upon or managed large and complex litigation and insurance claims, including:
- a large property claim arising from the Christchurch Earthquakes in 2010/11, whereby his client was able to achieve a settlement with insurers in the hundreds of millions of dollars, without resort to litigation;
- matters arising from and relating to the Wembley National Stadium Project;
- claims and litigation arising from large residential and commercial projects in New South Wales, Western Australia, Queensland, the ACT and Victoria;
- appearing as Counsel before the State Coroner of Western Australia in complex Coronial Inquiries.
Chris is a regular speaker and presenter at events and conferences such as the Australian Mining & Petroleum Lawyers Association Annual Conference, the Risk Management Institute of Australia National Conference & Lunch Time Seminar Series, and recently contributed to the 2nd edition of “Surety for Dummies” by Rosenberg & Parker of Philadelphia, USA.
Chris can be contacted on:
Office: 02 9283 3003
Mobile: 0404 854 834 / +61 404 854 834
Email: cstannage@saltwaterinsurance.com
Qualifications
LLB University of Western Australia
BSc (Anatomy & Human Movement) University of Western Australia
Admitted to practice in Western Australia in 1994, the High Court of Australia in 1996, and New South Wales in 2001.
Professional Associations
Law Society of New South Wales
Australian Corporate Lawyers Association
Australian Mining & Petroleum Lawyers Association
Risk Management Institution of Australia
Risk & Insurance Management Society of New York