Ligeti Partners

James Mulcahy

Managing Director

Virginia Waters

Principal Lawyer

Spencer Pascal

Principal Lawyer

Leadership

James Mulcahy has extensive experience in handling property damage matters on behalf of major Australian insurers, with a particular focus on motor vehicle insurance, commercial property and marine insurance. He is extremely proud of the team he leads. A number of the lawyers he has supervised have progressed from entry-level roles to senior positions in the industry within relatively short periods. Mulcahy is particularly passionate about building long-term, sustainable careers for staff and believes this is an essential part of making the firm successful. During his time as managing director, he has introduced various initiatives designed to foster enduring performance and balance for the firm’s staff.

Managing Director

James Mulcahy

For over a decade, Virginia Waters has practised as a property damage litigation lawyer, primarily in relation to disputes involving motor vehicles, including heavy motor vehicles, construction vehicles, plant and equipment. She is regularly sought out by her clients for advice on complex indemnity and policy interpretation issues, as well as counter-fraud. Waters’s experience and knowledge flow into the team of lawyers she oversees. She is passionate about mentoring her junior solicitors, in particular, supporting them to achieve the best results possible and helping them to develop into talented professionals.

Principal Lawyer

Virginia Waters

Spencer Pascal is an experienced insurance litigation lawyer handling complex liability, indemnity and property recovery litigated disputes for national motor vehicle, construction, plant, commercial property and home insurers. He has also become known for his expertise in the defence of credit hire claims. Pascal oversees Ligeti Partners’ Sydney office. He started with the firm as a junior lawyer and knows through first-hand experience the career progression opportunities afforded by the firm. He now enjoys being part of the firm’s leadership team as the firm experiences a period of growth.

Principal Lawyer

Spencer Pascal

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Doran Yacobi

Principal Lawyer

Doran Yacobi acts for leading national insurers in property damage litigation cases across all states. His expansive knowledge and experience make him sought after by clients for broader strategic advice, as he can provide clear and practical recommendations on current best practices throughout Australia. Yacobi runs one of the largest motor litigation teams in the country. He takes pride in being able to share his extensive expertise with his team, encouraging their professional growth within the litigation space and providing great mentorship.

Principal Lawyer

Doran Yacobi

Naomi Lim

Chief People and Operations Officer

Naomi Lim is a human resources professional excelling in change management, fostering growth at both individual and organisational levels. She is a collaborative and inclusive leader, empowering teams’ performance and staying ahead of HR innovation and best practices. Lim offers a well-rounded perspective, ready to drive positive change within organisations and, in particular, Ligeti Partners. With an honours degree in psychology and a master’s degree in human resource management, she understands the critical factors required to improve a company’s most valuable asset: its people.

Chief People and Operations Officer

Naomi Lim

Ligeti Partners is a specialist insurance litigation practice providing legal services to insurers, self-insureds, public companies and local government. Established in 1980, the firm is the largest specialist practice handling motor vehicle insurance and property damage claims. The firm offers a “whole-of-country” service through its offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth. Ligeti Partners places enormous emphasis on building career paths for their staff. This is grounded in understanding team members’ aspirations and strengths and facilitating regular dialogue between staff and their managers. The firm believes in consistently recognising and rewarding hard work and expertise. With some of the most experienced principal lawyers in the field of insurance litigation, Ligeti Partners’ leaders drive exceptional expertise and careers for their team. More importantly, regular mentoring sessions and monthly reviews serve as opportunities to build relationships between staff and their managers, which are so critical to having a successful long-term career. With many industry-leading benefits, Ligeti Partners ensures it stands out in the insurance litigation field as a place for solicitors to discover their potential.

“Monarch E&S has the products, talent, expertise, and reputation to get deals done with our strategic partners and clients, which is essentially table stakes”

Yiana Stavrakis, Monarch E&S Insurance Services

Adrian Zoppa

Director and Head of Financial Planning

Adrian Crossing

Director and Head of Technology, Orlo One

Scott Young

Director, Accounting and Business Advisory

Simon Williams

Chief Strategy & Distribution Officer, Arch Insurance International and Active Underwriter, Syndicate 1955

Adrian Zoppa is a director at Hood Sweeney Securities with more than 20 years of experience in integrated accounting and financial planning. As head of financial planning since 2021, he specialises in financial strategy, ownership structures and portfolio management, working with clients across industries, including the health sector. Zoppa is known for his detail-oriented, collaborative approach, taking time to understand each client’s story and objectives before designing tailored, practical solutions. He works closely with other trusted professionals to deliver comprehensive advice. Zoppa sits on the Hood Sweeney Securities Board, is a responsible manager for the AFSL, and chairs the Investment Committee.

Director and Head of Financial Planning

Adrian Zoppa

Adrian Crossing is director and head of technology for Orlo One, with more than 20 years of experience in technology services. Promoted to director in 2024, he believes that effective business strategy must be underpinned by robust security and privacy and advocates embedding these principles into every layer of operations. Crossing leads the continuous refinement of Orlo One’s capabilities to keep pace with a rapidly evolving threat landscape, where cyber risks demand resilient, proactive responses. His deep expertise in cybersecurity and disaster recovery makes him a trusted adviser to organisations seeking comprehensive protection, operational continuity and confidence in their technology environment.

Director and Head of Technology, Orlo One

Adrian Crossing

Scott Young is a director in accounting and business advisory at Hood Sweeney, bringing more than 30 years of experience with a strong focus on regional and agribusiness clients. Having grown up in a family livestock farming operation, he understands firsthand the challenges facing farming and regional enterprises, including seasonal variability and market volatility. As agribusiness relationship partner, Young oversees the delivery of professional services to regional and farm-related businesses across South Australia and Alice Springs and advises SMEs nationwide. He is highly regarded for his expertise in accounting, taxation and tax planning, succession planning, business planning and cash flow management.

Director, Accounting and Business Advisory

Scott Young

Kimi leads the Estate Planning and Wealth Protection team and is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. She understands the complex and delicate nature of family estate planning, the technical requirements around probate and estate administration, and the importance of preserving wealth for future generations. Her advice is accurate, commercial, strategic and tailored to each situation.

Partner

Kimi Shah

Partner

Kimi Shah

Partner

Kimi Shah

maintaining an in-house team of more than 20 programmers to facilitate fast improvements direct bill options to streamline the payment process for the agent and the insured providing IVANS policy downloads that enable up to 30 percent labor savings to independent agencies delivering online capabilities including rating, policy documents, payments, and claims reporting

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“We will continue to strengthen our service proposition and customer experience as a key differentiator, as we build on the momentum we have achieved to date across multiple business lines and territories,” says McLean. “Our im is to continue to grow our market relevance and strengthen our partnerships with our strategic brokers as we expand our leadership position in key sectors. “We will also continue to invest in talent. We are committed to drawing from the broadest pools of talent, and to creating an environment that attracts and retains stellar employees. We recognise the importance of building teams that are diverse, collaborative, and innovative and are dedicated to cultivating a supportive and inclusive workplace culture in which all our employees can thrive.”

Monarch’s sister company, Capitol Special Risks, is now part of the Monarch umbrella to provide retail broker customers with expertise and markets in the professional, management, and cyber liability space. “I am very proud of our young and dynamic leadership team,” says Derek Borisoff, chief executive officer of Monarch E&S. “Stefanie McLeod, vice president of personal lines, and Devon Borisoff, vice president of commercial lines, are led by Yiana Stavrakis, our very capable president. All three are known standouts in our industry who lead by example in both work ethic and desire to solve problems. Our firm’s outstanding performance is a result of their positive communications with our people, superb carrier relationships, and proactive management style.” As a full-service MGA and wholesale brokerage, Monarch gives retail insurance brokers access to many different lines of business through its commercial lines, personal lines, professional lines, transportation, mining/energy, CAT property, earthquake, and flood departments. “Monarch E&S has the products, talent, expertise, and reputation to get deals done with our strategic partners and clients, which is essentially table stakes,” says Yiana Stavrakis, president at Monarch E&S. “How do we go above and beyond? We aim to work on every deal, regardless of size, as if it were our personal account and provide our retail brokers with problem-solving competencies to handle hard-to-place risks. Most competitors do not provide the same level of service for smaller brokers and risks as they do for larger ones. Monarch thrives when it comes to providing solutions for small to mid-market risks.”

relationships and teamwork embracing and driving change holding teammates accountable pursuing excellence with humility giving back to the community

Furthermore, talent acquisition and retention pose a significant challenge and are at the forefront of most business leaders’ minds during this unique time. The insurance industry has been aware for years of a looming talent shortage caused by the Baby Boomer generation’s retirement and is now experiencing a war for talent. “Monarch has been able to overcome this talent acquisition challenge by staying true to who we are, a family environment with national resources, which is something we will continue to encourage and promote,” says Stavrakis. “When working for a team like ours, you are not another cog in the wheel but have the opportunity to make your mark and grow with us as we build out Monarch 2.0.” Monarch E&S Insurance Services is licensed in every state and is continuously finding ways to enhance its team, client, and carrier partner experiences. Get ready for the royal treatment as Monarch 2.0 expands digitally.

“I am very proud of our young and dynamic leadership team. Our firm’s outstanding performance is a result of their positive communications with our people, superb carrier relationships, and proactive management style”

Derek Borisoff, Monarch E&S Insurance Services

Yiana Stavrakis, Monarch E&S Insurance Services