Expertise
Aaron acts for clients facing insured losses in diverse sectors including financial services, hospitality and retail, manufacturing, logistics, sports and entertainment. He is experienced in all commercial lines of business, including directors and officers, business interruption, product liability, environmental risks, property and casualty. Aaron spent eight years practising in the Asia Pacific region (Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok), and is particularly experienced at resolving international and cross-border claims, often via arbitration.
In recent times, Aaron has established a reputation as a leading policyholder advocate in relation Covid-19 business interruption coverage and has acted in many leading cases in that sphere.
Recognition
- Chambers and Partners Asia Pacific, Band 1 – “One of the legends of insurance law”
- AsiaLaw Leading Lawyers – Market Leading Lawyer (Dispute Resolution and Insurance)
- Who’s Who Legal – Recommended
Experience
Aaron’s recent experience includes acting for:
- the UK’s largest pub owner in Stonegate v MS Amlin, a £1.1bn claim that tested market-critical issues in Covid-19 business interruption coverage, including aggregation, causation and treatment of government support
- a group of over 180 restaurant owners in Policyholders v China Taiping, which reopened the question of Covid-19 business interruption coverage under non-damage denial of access clauses
- US and Japanese hardware manufacturers in claims valued at over $700m arising out of the catastrophic 2011 Thai floods
- a Saudi petrochemical joint venture on potential £120m losses arising from a cracked turbine
- a Danish logistics company in relation to suspected theft of petroleum products from a refinery in Liberia
- executives of a suspended investment fund who were facing a Financial Conduct Authority investigation and third-party claims
- various performing artists, theatre companies, and venues in relation to event cancellation and non-appearance claims
- directors of a Russian-owned conglomerate on application of sanctions to directors and officers coverage
- a sanitary products manufacturer in relation to non-payment of claims under a trade credit policy
Career
Aaron trained and practised with City and US firms in London before relocating to Asia in 2011, where he spent two years in-house as regional head of litigation for AIG in Singapore. He then returned to private practice to lead a dedicated insurance practice at Southeast Asia’s leading law firm, with offices in seven countries across the region.
After returning to London in 2019, Aaron led the products and environmental risks practice at a leading insurance boutique, before joining Stewarts to launch the firm’s Policyholder Disputes practice in 2022.
Accreditations and Memberships
- British Insurance Law Association
- London Business Interruption Association
External Publications
Aaron has been widely published and interviewed on topical policyholder issues, most recently in relation to Covid-19 business interruption coverage, and as well as featuring regularly in the insurance industry press, has appeared in publications as diverse as the Financial Times, the Hollywood Reporter, the Sun and the Times.
Personal
Having originally studied music at university, Aaron enjoys playing the piano when given an occasional break by his six-year-old twins.
