Gillian Sheppard

Gillian Sheppard is a special counsel in our Insurance & Health team, having joined the Brisbane office in 2003. She was admitted to practice in 2000 and has practised exclusively in insurance law throughout her career, including spending a year in London working in the Zurich UK Claims Operation PI team.

‘At Barry Nilsson I am part of a great team and work with some very talented lawyers. The firm has a collegiate and friendly working environment and we’re all committed to the same goal of achieving the best possible outcome for our clients.’

Gillian’s areas of expertise are:

• Professional indemnity
• Policy coverage

She has a wealth of experience in defending professional negligence claims and complaints made against professionals to tribunals and registration boards.

‘Dealing with claims against a diverse range of professionals means that my work is extremely varied. The matters are interesting, complicated and technical and no two files are the same.’

‘It’s a privilege to be able to help an insured, whose professional reputation and, potentially their career, is at stake, through what is often a difficult and stressful time. Resolving disputes on the best possible terms is also incredibly rewarding.’

Gillian’s clients are based in Queensland, interstate and in the UK. She acts for insurers for a broad range of professions, including solicitors, building and construction professionals, medical professionals, educational institutions and financial advisers.

‘I like the fact that my clients are engaged and have a genuine interest in resolving claims. They don’t just care about the final result in terms of their bottom line, they also care about the insured's involved.’

Gillian has been recognised in Best Lawyers for Insurance Law since 2019. She has a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and a Bachelor of Commerce, as well as a Graduate Diploma of Insurance. She is a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance and a member of the Australian Professional Indemnity Group (APIG) and the Medico-Legal Society.