Professor Rob Merkin KC

Consultant

Rob is Professor of Commercial Law at the University of Reading in England, Honorary Professor of Law at the University of Auckland and Distinguished Professor in the School of Comparative Law at the China University of Politics and Law in Beijing. In addition, he is a visiting Professor at the University of Sydney, teaching an intensive insurance law module to Masters’ students. Rob has taught insurance law in a number of other institutions, including the University of Queensland, Hong Kong University, City University in Athens and National University of Singapore.

 

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As well as advising insurance companies and brokers, Rob gives seminars to lawyers, the insurance industry and national insurance law associations worldwide. In particular he has spoken on a number of occasions for the NZ Insurance Law Association and the Australian Insurance Law Association, and has given regular updates for the Lloyd’s Market Association and the British Insurance Law Association. Rob is presently acting as consultant to Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment for the ongoing project to reform New Zealand insurance law.

Rob sits as an arbitrator, and has had a number of appointments in England, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Rob has written a number of texts including:

  • Colinvaux’s Law of Insurance in New Zealand (2nd edition, December 2017).
  • Insurance Contract Law.
  • Reinsurance Law.
  • Arbitration Law.
  • Insurance Law in Hong Kong.
  • Marine Insurance Legislation.
  • the Law of Motor Insurance.
  • Marine Insurance: A Legal History.

Rob’s books have on three occasions won the annual prize from the British Insurance Law Association. He is also co-author of Sutton’s Law of Insurance in Australia and edits the Journal of Business Law, the Lloyd’s Law Reports, Lloyd’s Maritime Law Newsletter, Arbitration Law Monthly and Insurance Law Monthly. From 2005 to 2011 he was co-editor of Legal Studies, the journal of the Society of Legal Scholars.

Rob's insights

Global Insurance Law Connect report: ESG’s impact on global insurance industry

12 May 2023

The Shaw case: an authority on “loss” of possession?

29 November 2022

Limitation of liability clauses upheld by the High Court

18 April 2024

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He tāngata

  • Member of the Disciplinary Committee of the Financial Services Council of New Zealand.

Enterprising

  • Fellow of AMINZ (Arb.).

  • Past president of the British Insurance Law Association.

  • Honorary life president of the International Association of Insurance Law (AIDA).

  • Served as consultant to the English and Scottish Law Commissions for their project on the reform of insurance law 2006-2016.

     

Excellence

  • Recognised as a leading international insurance lawyer in the New Zealand section of Who’s Who Legal: Insurance and Reinsurance publication every year since 2019.
  • 2009 – Rob was Distinguished Visitor for the Singapore Academy of Law.
  • 2010 – Rob was awarded a prize by the Australian Insurance Law Association for his contribution to insurance law.
  • 2012 – Rob was appointed to the Hotung Fellowship by the University of Canterbury to deliver a series of lectures on earthquake insurance.
  • 2014 – Rob was awarded a higher doctorate (LLD) by Cardiff University and acted as Special Adviser to the House of Lords Special Public Bills Committee on the Insurance Bill (now Act).
  • 2015 – Rob was made a KC honoris causa by the Crown. 

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