Simon Perrein

Special Counsel

simon.perrein@hbacrawford.com.au

Experience

Simon has over 19 years’ experience practising in both Sydney and England, on both sides of the negotiating table (his experience includes both plaintiff and defendant insurance work).

Simon joined HBA in the second half of 2019 directly after a three year stint with Australian plaintiff specialists Shine Lawyers.  There, he represented the interests of individuals involved in disputes across New South Wales.

Before life at Shine, Simon spent around four years in England at Pierre Thomas & Partners doing plaintiff and defendant insurance funded work for French individuals and companies. Prior to this he was with HWL Ebsworth Lawyers in Sydney for two years, and prior to that with both Clyde & Co and Penningtons Solicitors in England dealing with cross border litigation.

Simon graduated from the University of Champagne, Reims, France in 1998 with a Licence en Droit (French law degree). He obtained honours in family law, tax law, international law and political sociology.  He then obtained postgraduate diplomas in English law from the University of Reading, BPP Law School and University of West of England in 2001, which enabled him to convert his French law degree to English law.

He was admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England & Wales in 2004 and admitted to the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 2007.

Expertise

Simon has broad experience across public liability, product liability, aviation and breach of contract claims as well as abuse, medical negligence and motor accident disputes.  Thanks to Simon’s wisdom of experience he brings to the table an in-depth understanding of the insurance industry and the associated commercial issues surrounding it.  In addition, he is well versed at dealing with large volumes of claims concurrently and is no stranger to the Supreme Court, District Court and the CARS Motor Tribunal.

Simon’s dual qualifications, experience and knowledge of the procedures and laws in various jurisdictions allow him to have a unique understanding of the various issues within individual cases. He is considered an expert in providing structured advice dealing with the legal, commercial and practical issues faced by clients.

At HBA, Simon assists clients across the areas of casualty, dispute resolution, workers’ compensation and subrogated recoveries.

Why clients like him …

Simon’s experience in acting for both plaintiffs and defendants enables him to understand the key strengths and weaknesses of the opponents’ cases from the outset. He is down-to-earth and approachable, yet a clever negotiator when it really counts.