Hughes and Lewis Legal is the personal injuries law start-up that had to happen.

With many years of combined personal injuries insurance law experience, the team at Hughes and Lewis have helped insurers, employers and injured people achieve the right results in the right way.

Friendly and easy-going coupled with professionalism, and a winning attitude, is how we approach all our matters.

Who is Belinda Hughes?

Belinda grew up in regional Queensland.  Until she made it to the big smoke her days were spent studying (yes – you know the type) working at the local bakery and getting down to Shaggy at the school blue light disco… but a career in the compensation field issued its clarion’s call.

Belinda, are you qualified to practise law?

I’d never pretend to be a lawyer —I swear.

Belinda?

Ok, ok. I was admitted as a solicitor in 2003 and I have a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and a Bachelor of International Business.

What have you done in your career?

For most of my career I’ve specialised in workers’ compensation and public liability claims, both as a lawyer within WorkCover Queensland, and then as an external panel lawyer contracted to that organisation. Apart from WorkCover Queensland and a number of other workers’ compensation self-insurers, I have also acted for public liability insurers and directly for clients with large excesses. Having acted for ‘defendants’ I have a unique perspective on how to get the best results on the other side of the table, when I’m acting for injured people. 

I am also on the Queensland Law Society Accident Compensation and Tort Law Committee

Name your top cases.

I acted for WorkCover Queensland in Clayton v Jetcrete Oz Pty Ltd [2017] QDC 003 in which we successfully proved the incident didn’t occur and there was no fault (negligence) on the part of the employer even if it had.  This decision is significant because it is one of the few matters an insurer has been able to defend in a Northern Queensland Court and it shows how important it is to make sure only the right matters progress to trial and, when they do, they are properly prepared.  

I also dealt with the matter of Alan Seymour Yarrow (as the Executor of the Estate of the late William David Keith Cameron) v Workers’ Compensation Regulator - WC/2016/6, a decision that stopped the practice of some firms double dipping in compensation claims for asbestos in multiple jurisdictions.

I also acted for WorkCover Queensland in Muller v Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd & Ors (unreported, Supreme Court, 5364/2012), a large value case for a mining joint venture where the Plaintiff agreed to judgment in WorkCover’s favour at the end of the first day of trial.  This matter was progressed openly and consistently from the onset.  Early on we identified the worker’s injuries were not related to the claimed incident and this position was maintained.

What’s important to you? 

Empowering women, family, wine… not necessarily in that order...

Head to Belinda’s LinkedIn to connect and get more details of her career.

Who is Catherine King?

Catherine originally hails from South Australia, has access to quality cleanskins (her brother’s a wine-maker) and is literally the Jacques Cousteau (she scuba dives!) of the Hughes + Lewis team. These attributes did not get her the job at Hughes + Lewis Legal – maybe the wine connection helped… What really helped? She’s a fierce lawyer who knows her way around all facets of personal injuries law. 

Catherine, are you qualified to practise law?

I’m confident Hughes & Lewis paid the renewal fee for my practising certificate, so yes, I’m permitted to practice law for this financial year.  I also have a double degree in law and media from South Australia.

Um, does your experience precede this financial year?

Haha yes. I’ve specialised in personal injury/insurance litigation for most of my career.

Give us a rundown of your career.

I worked for a firm that represented injured plaintiffs in Adelaide when I was a law clerk/junior solicitor and when I relocated to Brisbane, continued this work as a solicitor. I spent a few years working at one of the big plaintiff firms, working on the holy trinity of motor vehicle, public liability and WorkCover claims. 

I later jumped the fence to work as a defendant lawyer and have spent the past several years specialising in WorkCover defendant matters. 

Like many other lawyers I had a break from law... to pursue my artistic side in graphic design, so I wouldn’t die wondering. It wasn’t for me but it made me realise that the legal industry is where my true calling lies.

What’s important to you?

Modernising legal industry attitudes and processes, scuba diving, sustainability, wine with friends and family.

If you want to know more about Catherine, connect with her on LinkedIn.

Who is Phil Carlson? 

We’re not going to lie; Phil is hands down the most interesting person in the firm. He’s a man who’s lived many lives in many countries – he’s served in the United States Marine Corps in overseas peace-keeping missions, was an armed security cash carrier and worked as nightclub bouncer. In other words, don’t mess with Phil.

And if a sliding doors moment hadn’t occurred, Phil’s life may have taken a very different path. Read on.

What is something most people wouldn’t know about you? 

I love to cook. My wife hates it when I do though because, according to her, I use every pan in the house. In fact, I was going to attend Le Cordon Bleu in Sydney to learn to be a chef but life plans changed when our first son arrived. 

So, my first real job in Australia was as a bouncer and working as a plain clothes (armed) cash carrier. A couple years later I had to be a witness in a murder trial when another bouncer killed a patron, and it was this experience that brought me to working in the law.

Phil, are you qualified to practise law?

I am! After moving to Australia, I obtained a Bachelor of Laws and a few years later a Masters of Business Administration.

Give us a rundown of your career in law.

Law is my second career and I’ve now worked as a personal injuries and employment lawyer for more than a decade. I’ve specialised in WorkCover matters involving mining, manufacturing, healthcare and psychiatric injury claims. I also handle personal injury and motor accident matters for injured people.

What’s your legal superpower?

I’m good at identifying relevant issues at an early stage in any claim to cut to the chase and achieve a speedy resolution.

What’s important to you?

Family and friends without a doubt. Playing golf gets a special mention as does Star Wars.

Head to Phil’s LinkedIn to connect and get more details of his career.

Who is Jason Lewis?

Jason is (cough) a movie star. You may know him from movies such as No Smoking, Bible Squad and Sh*t List.

He doesn’t like to admit his big break into amateur films was because he owned the only suit among the cast.

Jason, are you qualified to practise law?

I’d like to think I am, after nearly three decades in law.

C’mon, Jason, be more specific.

I’ve got a Bachelor of Laws. That was after 5 years indentured servitude … I mean, Articles of Clerkship beginning in 1988. I was admitted as a solicitor in 1994. 

Give us a rundown of
your career.

I’ve worked in the compensation field since 1998, helping insurers in worker's compensation and compulsory third party claims (both in private practice and in various in-house roles with both WorkCover Queensland and Suncorp Insurance).  

I was recommended in the 2015 and 2017 editions of Doyle’s Guide as a leading workers’ compensation and WorkCover lawyer (defendant) in Queensland.  

I’ve also helped injured people in worker's compensation, motor vehicle accident, public liability, medical negligence and Total & Permanent Disability claims. I was on the Board of a Brisbane primary school, and regularly perform other voluntary work to assist the members of my local community. What can I say? I’m an all-round flexible guy.

Name your top cases.

In my capacity as a panel lawyer for WorkCover Queensland I successfully represented that organisation in the key decision of Sinclair v Sunshine Coast Independent Living Service Inc [2016] QSC 63. 

We successfully proved the alleged incident never occurred, meaning we had a complete win.  This decision was a strong endorsement of WorkCover’s commitment to selected contested litigation i.e. carefully selecting which matters should be resolved promptly out of court and which should be vigorously and successfully defended at trial. 

Jason, why do you have one top case and Belinda has many?

Because I’m a lover, not a fighter.

Mediation and out of court settlement is what I do best.

What’s important to you? 

Community, family, Star Wars… Star Wars may come first.

Head to Jason’s LinkedIn to connect and get more details of his career.

Who is Duncan Hutchings?

Prior to becoming a lawyer Duncan was a mash potato consultant, working closely with high end potato restaurants in London, Paris, New York and Boonah (this was not in your CV Duncan…).

Since the potato days Duncan has pursued a love of saxophone, jazz music, hiking and pipe smoking (of the legal kind), and reminisces frequently over his student days when he had an afro bigger than a beach ball.

Duncan, are you qualified to practise law?

Law is like learning an instrument –“practice makes perfect”. I practise at least an hour a day.

Details please, Duncan.

I’ve got a Bachelor of Laws and was admitted in 2005.

Give us a rundown of your career.

For most of my career I’ve worked for defendants and plaintiffs in the public liability, motor vehicle and workers compensation fields. I have specialised in workers compensation, working in-house and then as a panel member for a major Queensland insurer.

Name your top cases.

I’ve been involved in only two cases which have gone to trial. I won’t bore you with the details, except to say in each case the party I represented won. So far, I have a perfect track record with trials, and hope to keep it that way.

Why so few trials? 

I’m focused on resolving claims quickly, with minimal expense.

What’s important to you? 

In order: family, wine, music, my cat Percy and world peace.

If you want to know more about Duncan, connect with him on LinkedIn.

Who is Claire Bruggemann? 

Claire is originally from Maryborough – born and bred. Back in the day, she may have served you a Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese when you stopped for Maccas in Maryborough… She’s also a talented (ahem) tap dancer.  

Firstly, Singin’ in the rain or Bootmen?  

Bootmen! Adam Garcia is a dreamboat (remember Coyote Ugly?). When I was young, I was classically trained. Bootmen was my first experience of how dancing (tap dancing in particular) could be raw and unrestrained. 

Claire, are you qualified to practise law? 

What if I said, “No”? Yes, of course I am! 

I moved to Brisbane for university and I have a Bachelor of Laws and Business Management from the University of Queensland. I actually lived on campus for two years at Women’s College. In 2008, I was admitted as a solicitor. 

What have you done in your career? 

I’ve predominantly worked in the personal injuries and workers compensation area for my entire career. I started my first legal job in the final two years of uni.  

Most of my experience has been in various private legal practices and I also worked as an in-house solicitor at WorkCover Queensland. Working exclusively in this area of law for over 15 years has given me plenty of experience and insight to tackle any case I handle.  

We’ve been told your superpower is negotiation... 

Ha! Yes, you could say that. I’m a problem solver by nature and I always try to get the right result in the right way to the satisfaction of all parties. 

What’s important to you?  

Family, health, wine, dancing and travel! In that order. 

Head to Claire’s LinkedIn to connect and get more details of her career.