Five insurance partners – David Chadwick, Ingrid Hobbs, Tim McCaw, Andrew McGahey, and Andrew Westlake – have joined Kennedys Law LLP from Mayer Brown.
All are joining the firm's London office except Mr. McGahey, who will be relocating to the firm's office in Dublin.
Mr. Chadwick was head of Mayer Brown's London Insurance and Reinsurance Group. His practice focuses in particular on political risk and trade credit with deep relationships in that market. He is also a specialist in financial institutions' claims and professional indemnity and has experience of reinsurance disputes. He has advised on all major issues impacting the financial markets including significant claims emanating from the global financial crisis.
Ms. Hobbs is a specialist insurance litigator with experience in both coverage and defense of claims across a broad range of sectors including product liability and recall insurance, technology and cyber risks, professional indemnity, financial institutions, media and publishing houses, and directors' and officers' liability.
Mr. McCaw advises insurers on coverage aspects of high value property and casualty claims and cross border product liability/product recall claims. He has experience defending professional negligence claims against a wide range of professionals including solicitors, valuers, and auditors. He also has experience advising insurers on political risk and trade credit claims and drafting policy wordings.
Mr. McGahey has advised insurers on claims involving directors and officers, financial institutions, and professionals. He is also experienced in dealing with claims under warranty and indemnity and Public Officering of Securities Insurance (“POSI”) policies, as well as transactional liability insurance matters.
Mr. Westlake specializes in advising political risk and trade credit insurers, advising on CEND (confiscation, expropriation, nationalization, and deprivation), contract frustration, political violence, trade disruption, structured trade credit, and whole turnover trade credit. His practice includes both High Court litigation in London and international arbitration under LCIA (London Court of International Arbitration) and ICC rules.
Nick Thomas, senior partner of Kennedys, said, “I am delighted that David, Ingrid, Tim, Andrew, and Andrew are set to join Kennedys. They are all highly regarded and come with excellent reputations and strong client relationships that fit with the firm's insurance and claims strategy.
“Their appointments significantly complement our domestic and global insurance practice and London Market capabilities – which were augmented with recent hires in Bermuda, Chicago, and New York – and also reinforce our appetite for attracting top talent.
“It's been another very positive year of growth for Kennedys and I am looking forward to being able to announce further developments in 2018.”
The new partners officially will join Kennedys early in the New Year.