Nancy Milne

Background

Milne's professional life is rooted in Sydney, the capital of New South Wales. She studied law at the University of Sydney and was admitted to the bar in Australia in 1974, after which she built a legal career in the city.

Education

Milne studied at the University of Sydney, where she completed a Bachelor of Laws. The university was founded in 1850 by an act of the New South Wales Parliament, and it opened its doors in 1852 with a focus on classics, sciences, mathematics and modern subjects such as French, German and political thought.

The institution was built on two principles: religious tolerance, so that students were admitted regardless of belief, and admission on academic merit through an examination. It awarded its first degrees in 1856. In 1881 it became one of the first universities in the world to accept female students, and in 1896 seven professorships were created, including one in law.

Career

Milne's Sydney legal career included a period as a partner at Phillips Fox, which was a leading Australasian law firm. In 2006 the firm left behind its distinctive purple branding and relaunched as DLA Phillips Fox through an alliance with DLA Piper. In 2011 it was absorbed into DLA Piper Australia when that global firm opened for business in Australia.

From 1996 to 1999 Milne served as an acting judge of the District Court of New South Wales, the intermediate trial court in the state's court system. From 1997 to 2003 she was a partner at Clayton Utz, which was founded in 1833 and is headquartered in Sydney. The firm is one of Australia's oldest and largest full-service commercial law firms. In 2004 she was reported as leading the Clayton Utz insurance and risk team.

From 2004 to 2012 she worked as a consultant to Clayton Utz. Her practice centred on insurance litigation and insurance law, a field she chose in the 1980s after finding that the work for insurers was the most interesting part of her practice. Her later career also included board service: she joined the board of Zurich Australia in 1999 and chaired it for more than four years. Zurich Australia is the Australian arm of the Swiss-based Zurich insurance group. She also held non-executive directorships with Munich Reinsurance Australasia, which forms part of the German Munich Re reinsurance group.

Achievements

• Milne built a specialised practice in insurance law and insurance litigation, a field she chose during the 1980s after working extensively for insurers. Her practice later combined insurance litigation with corporate governance, risk management and commercial dispute resolution.

Membership

The International Bar Association is an international organisation that brings together bar associations, law societies and individual lawyers from many countries to discuss legal practice and professional issues. Milne chaired its Insurance Committee in 2005, reflecting her specialisation in insurance law.

• Chair of the Insurance Committee

  International Bar Association

  2005

References

• Profile Industry people: Nancy Milne OA Profile published in the journal of the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance, describing her insurance career, board directorships, service as chair of the International Bar Association Insurance Committee and 2008 Order of Australia.
  2010
• Nancy Milne director profile Directorship profile describing her practice in insurance, corporate governance, risk management and commercial dispute resolution, her partnership at Clayton Utz from 1997 to 2003 and her consultancy to the firm until 2012.
• Nancy Milne: Positions, Relations and Network Professional profile listing her non-executive directorships, including roles with Commonwealth Property Office Fund, ALE Property Group and FBR Ltd, and her graduate degree from the University of Sydney.
• Appointments 2 July 2004 Legal industry appointments column reporting that a new Clayton Utz partner would work closely with Milne, who was leading the Clayton Utz insurance and risk team.
  2004