Willow Phoenix-O'Brien

Principal Lawyer

Willow provides specialist legal advice to clients on government insurance risk management and litigation matters, in particular liability, quantum, and evidence advice for complex Queensland Police Service and transport infrastructure claims.

She has extensive experience in the practice of government insurance matters, including the conduct of claims pursuant the Personal Injuries Proceedings Act 2002 (PIPA) and claims made under the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 1999. Willow has had carriage of matters in all jurisdictions from the Magistrates Court to the Federal Court and several tribunals.

Willow graduated with a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Science in 2002. She joined Crown Law’s Government Insurance and Risk Team in 2005 after working in the community legal sector with Caxton Legal Centre.

Willow's litigation experience includes involvement in complex personal injuries cases in the District and Supreme Court jurisdictions, as well as experience handling matters in the pre-proceedings stages. She has advised and acted in a wide variety of matters and has extensive experience handling:

  • public liability litigation
  • personal injuries litigation and PIPA claims for the Department of Transport and Main Roads, Queensland Police Service, Corrective Services, Department of Justice and Attorney-General, Queensland Health, Department of Environment, Education Queensland, TAFE and Housing
  • transport infrastructure litigation
  • Queensland Police Service use of force litigation
  • catastrophic injuries litigation
  • significant litigation
  • medical negligence claims for Queensland Health and Queensland Ambulance Service.