Profile
Position
Partner
Career
Cecily specialises in insurance litigation. She is an experienced Court advocate who makes frequent appearances in the High Court and has appeared in the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. She regularly advises local insurers on policy coverage and litigation matters. Cecily’s areas of specialty include insurance coverage disputes, property insurance, business interruption, life insurance, travel insurance, negligence, construction and engineering issues and Fair Trading Act claims. Cecily also has particular expertise in the drafting and review of policy wordings.
Cecily has provided advice on insurance issues arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, including in relation to travel insurance coverage, life insurance and reinsurance. She has negotiated settlements for insurers in 16 earthquake insurance disputes, including representing the insurer at mediations and Court settlement conferences. She successfully negotiated the settlement of a proceeding over a life insurance claim in which the policy was avoided for non-disclosure.
Cecily has provided extensive advice to insurers on novel and complex insurance issues arising out of the Christchurch earthquakes across both commercial and domestic policy wordings. Cecily is currently lead counsel in 22 proceedings arising from the Canterbury earthquakes filed in the High Court or the Canterbury Earthquake Insurance Tribunal, acting for Vero Insurance and AA Insurance in a range of disputes.
Cecily was one of three presenters at the Successful Settlements seminar run by the Auckland District Law Society, providing insight into mediation and settlement negotiations where an insurer is involved.
Memberships
Education
LLB (Hons)
Content supplied by Fee Langstone
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Fee Langstone have a personal touch with every contact they make. They deliver on time and are easily assessable for discussions on any advice they offer.' 'Fee Langstone is well regarded for its specialist expertise in insurance, litigation, and dispute resolution. What sets the firm apart is its deep industry knowledge and long-standing reputation in the insurance and commercial sectors. Clients value the team’s ability to manage complex, high-stakes matters with precision and confidence.' 'The individuals I've worked with at Fee Langstone consistently demonstrate strong legal acumen, particularly in the areas of insurance and dispute resolution. What sets them apart is their ability to distill complex issues into clear, strategic advice, often under tight timeframes.' 'The team at Fee Langstone are always responsive and a wealth of information. They are easy to talk to and assist in providing strategies to progress matters quickly.' 'Our main point of contact is Bradley Alcorn - he is fantastic to work with.' 'The depth of knowledge on insurance specific issues is first class. The team are responsive, pragmatic and commercial with their advice, all with a deep knowledge of case law and legislation.' 'Melissa Bell: a passion for the law, well read, pragmatic, professional advice. An outstanding insurance professional. Craig Langstone: depth of knowledge and experience, pragmatic and across the details of the file.' 'Philippa Fee - her tenure in the market makes her an excellent choice for advice on indemnity issues. Virgina Wethey - excellent on lawyers' complaints and professional negligence claims.'
Key clients
- Ag Guard Ando AIG (NZ), AIG Australia, AIG Europe (UK) Ltd AIG Speciality Claims Australasia Allianz New Zealand Allianz Australia Ltd Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty Ando Insurance Group Ltd Antares Managing Agency Ltd Arcadian Risk Capital AXA Climate Berkshire Hathaway Speciality Insurance Canopius Syndicate Chaucer Syndicates Ltd Chubb Insurance Company of Australia Chubb Insurance NZ Cloud Collections Ltd -on behalf of Capricorn Mutual Ltd Club Marine Ltd Crombie Lockwood Delta Insurance Dual NZ FMG Insurance General Reinsurance Corporation ICIB International Transport Intermediaries Lloyds of London Manchester Underwriting Management Ltd Marsh Newline Syndicate 1218 NM Insurance NZI & NZI Marine (IAG) NZ Underwriting Agencies Ltd QBE European Operations QBE Insurance (Australia) Ltd QBE Fiji QBE Smartpak RedSky Insurance Rothbury Insurance Brokers SCOR Reinsurance Asia Sedgwick New Zealand Southern Cross Benefits Ltd Star Insurance Ltd Steadfast Group SURA Thomas Miller Tokio Marine & Nichido Vero Insurance (New Zealand) / Suncorp Westfield Specialty Managing Agency (previously Argo) Zurich New Zealand