Natalie Orola
Natalie.Orola@kennedyslaw.com
+61 2 8215 5988
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Profile
Natalie is a Partner in Kennedys’ Brisbane office specialising in healthcare and casualty claims, with more than 15 years’ experience acting for Australian and international insurers, underwriting agencies, and insureds.
Natalie’s practice encompasses the defence of high-exposure personal injury claims across both healthcare and casualty lines. She has extensive experience advising on liability, quantum, and complex coverage issues across a wide range of sectors, including healthcare, sports, leisure and entertainment, mining, construction, retail and property.
Natalie specialises in all aspects of healthcare law, including professional negligence claims, immediate registration action processes, Medicare disputes, coronial investigations and inquests, and clinical reviews/health service investigations. She regularly appears before QCAT, the Office of the Health Ombudsman, and the Australian Health Practitioner Agency, and is trusted by clients for her ability to deliver clear advice in difficult matters.
Natalie regularly manages large-scale, multi-party disputes and is actively involved in all forms of alternative dispute resolution, including negotiations, mediations, and pre-court conferences. She has conducted matters in all Queensland courts, and has extensive experience managing claims under the Personal Injuries Proceedings Act 2002 (Qld).
Having previously held senior claims and practice management roles within Australia’s largest medical defence organisation, and gaining critical insight into claims strategy, risk management, and the operational drivers of medical indemnity providers, Natalie brings a pragmatic, commercially attuned approach to defending claims and advising on complex indemnity issues.
A regular publisher and speaker, Natalie is recognised by clients and colleagues for her legal and commercial skills. She regularly contributes to a number of leading healthcare law publications including the Australian Health Law Bulletin. Natalie has been named a Finalist in Women Lawyers Association of Queensland’s Emergent Woman Lawyer of the Year award, Lawyers Weekly Australian Law Awards Young Gun, and Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 Awards Insurance category. She is also a long-term member (and former Treasurer) of The Association for Women in Insurance (Qld).
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Qualifications and admissions
Qualifications/ Memberships
- Foreign Qualified Lawyer | Solicitors Regulation Authority | 2025
- Bachelor of Law (Honours) | The University of Queensland | 2010
- Bachelor of Commerce, Finance | The University of Queensland | 2010
- Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice | The College of Law Australia | 2011
- Member | Australian Insurance Law Association
- Member | Medico-Legal Society of Queensland
- Member | Queensland Law Society
- Treasurer | Women in Insurance | 2012–2017
- Management Committee Member | Queensland Young Lawyers | 2013–2017
Admissions
- Admitted to Queensland, Federal and High Courts | 2011
Work highlights
Healthcare
- Representing several healthcare professionals on instruction from a national insurer in a complex multi-party personal injury claim seeking over $10 million in damages and over $500,000 in legal costs arising from an alleged failure to diagnose and treat terminal cancer.
- Acting for a medical practice on instruction from a national insurer in the defence of a claim against its directors and employees alleging improper and unsafe storage of vaccinations, which allegedly resulted in significant injury to a minor.
- Representing high-profile government officials and medical professionals in the Barrett Adolescent Centre Commission of Inquiry before the Honourable Margaret Wilson QC.
- Acting on instruction from Australia’s largest medical defence organisations, representing a wide array of healthcare professionals in regulatory matters arising from patient complaints, impairment matters, and registration issues involving the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and the Office of the Health Ombudsman.
- Acting for doctors and medical practices in investigations by Medicare concerning their provision of medical services, including representation of doctors in hearings before the Medicare Professional Services Review Panel.
Casualty
- Acting for national and international insurers in the defence of public liability claims across the retail and property sectors, including slip and fall incidents, occupiers’ liability and negligent security allegations.
- Advising insurers and self-insured corporates on liability and quantum exposure in catastrophic injury claims arising from accidents in commercial premises, including shopping centres and medical facilities.
- Defending claims against sports and leisure operators, including allegations of negligent supervision, unsafe premises and failure to warn, often involving complex factual disputes and expert evidence.
- Acting for insureds in the construction sector in claims involving site accidents, contractor liability and workplace incidents, including contribution and indemnity disputes between multiple parties.
- Advising on coverage and indemnity issues under general liability policies, including policy response, exclusions, and dual insurance considerations.
Healthcare
Life sciences
Insurance and reinsurance