Simba Makoni

Simba has 10 years’ experience assisting clients with insurance claims in New South Wales and Victoria jurisdictions. He has particular experience representing clients from NSW government departments to scheme agents and self-insurers in work injury damages claims, statutory compensation entitlement disputes, intentional torts and in recent years, he has developed a specific interest in resolving disputes in the niche area of industrial deafness claims. Simba also conducts weekly clinics to provide practical help with one of our major clients.

Simba has demonstrated that he has a high level of diligence, attention to detail and determination. His experience representing and achieving results for both defendant and plaintiffs provides him with a wide perspective with respect to understanding and facilitating the objectives of his clients’ business needs.  

Prior to joining Bartier Perry, he has represented injured claimants en masse through class actions litigation, with a particular interest in assessing and processing common law claims flowing from class actions settlements through complex settlement distribution schemes overseen by the Supreme Court. He has contributed significantly as a member of the team of specialist litigators who have a strong history of running cases that hold powerful organisations to account for mass wrongdoing. 

 

Qualifications/Memberships

• Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Arts (Murdoch University – Western Australia)

 

What Simba’s clients say

“Over the past years working with Simba has been nothing but ease and efficiency. He has not only assisted and had success in many matters for our teams but educated our staff and specialists along the way. He is available for any questions whether it be big or small. I thoroughly look forward to the years to come working with Simba” – Amy M, EML Technical Specialist.

 

A word from Simba

“I became a lawyer to help people obtain access to justice. As a native of Zimbabwe and having come from humble beginnings, I appreciate that my journey thus far could only have been made possible through the benevolence of those within systems of authority over the populace such as the legal industry who have a penchant for doing the right thing in equitable fashion. I aspire to be part of this fraternity through my interactions with clients on a daily basis.” 

Career highlights

• Successfully settled numerous complex industrial deafness matters against historically noisy employers which have set a blueprint for how such matters can be litigated successfully

• Successfully representing employers in the NSW Workers Compensation Commission in disputes ranging from work injury damages claims to permanent impairment claims, mitigating the extent of statutory benefits sought and dispute resolutions of that ilk

• Successfully reducing impairment assessments on appeal to the Medical Appeal Panel

• Played an instrumental role in the settlement distribution and resolution of the $500 million Kilmore Black Saturday class action in the Supreme Court for thousands of Victorian bushfire victims

• A member of the team that successfully obtained another of one of Australia's largest class action settlements and settlement distributions for people affected by the Murrindindi Black Saturday bushfire in the Supreme Court which settled for $300 million

 

Specific areas of focus

• Representing employers in insurance-related matters and disputes.

• Conducting all negotiations and liaising with insurance company claims managers and self-insurers.

• Advising on claims involving physical and psychological claims.

• Representing employers in claims for work injury damages from the time a claim is made through the mediation process, including representing them in the District Court and Supreme Courts.

• Conducting Claims Clinics to review claims.