CMK specializes in coverage and defense work including general liability, cyber risk, professional liability, medical malpractice, construction defect, property and casualty, surety and fidelity, and reinsurance across sectors including marine, aviation, and financial lines. It also has construction and healthcare practices, and handles commercial litigation, real estate, and employment.

Chris Carroll, one of the founders of CMK in 1997, will join Kennedys' global strategy board. Founding partners Joseph McNulty and Gary Kull also will continue with Kennedys CMK, along with the firm's managing partner, Margaret Catalano.

Nick Thomas, a senior partner of Kennedys, said, “Our growth is always predicated on client need and the global nature of the insurance market means that our clients will benefit from the expertise CMK can offer in the U.S. Likewise, CMK's clients will benefit greatly from access to our network of specialists, stretching from Dublin to Auckland, and many points in between. But this is also a meeting of minds. We know each other well, as colleagues and friends, and are confident that our cultures will integrate to the benefit of all. Clients will see immediate benefits from working with a global firm and they have been overwhelmingly positive in their support of this merger.”

Mr. Carroll added, “In just 20 years, CMK has established itself as one of the leading players in the U.S. insurance market, but to build on this growth we now view our future strategy as one that extends internationally, and this merger supports that. We've worked with Kennedys for over 10 years having worked together on some of the biggest insurance cases of recent years. We know that we are joining forces with a firm with ambitions and a reputation to match our own. We are really looking forward to continued growth with like-minded people and, as importantly, with friends.”