Professor Rob Merkin KC

Special Counsel

Rob is Professor of Commercial Law at the University of Reading in England. He has held honorary or visiting positions at the University of Auckland, the School of Comparative Law at the China University of Politics and Law in Beijing, the University of Sydney, the University of Queensland, Hong Kong University, City the University in Athens and the 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 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 (3rd edition, 2025).
  • Insurance Contract Law (looseleaf, updated 3 times a year since 1989)
  • Colinvaux’s Law of Insurance (UK, 14th edition, 2025)
  • Sutton’s Law of Insurance in Australia (5th edition, 2025)
  • Reinsurance Law (looseleaf, updated 3 times a year since 1985)
  • Arbitration Law (looseleaf, updated 3 times a year since 1993)
  • Insurance Law in Hong Kong (4th edition, 2022)
  • The Law of Motor Insurance (3rd edition, 2026)
  • Marine Insurance: A Legal History (2021)

These texts have been cited or relied on in very many judgments worldwide. Rob’s books have on three occasions won the annual prize from the British Insurance Law Association. He is also 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

Building Amendment Bill Introduced: Major Reforms to Liability, Insurance, and Consenting Requirements for the Construction Sector

2 July 2026

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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.

  • Served as consultant to MBIE 2019-2025 leading to the Contracts of Insurance Act 2025.

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.

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