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We are pleased to announce the expansion of Kennedys' New Zealand presence with the addition of specialist dispute resolution firm Darroch Forrest’s team in Wellington to create a second New Zealand office.
As part of the move, partners Alistair Darroch, Lauren Castle and Ben Sanders, along with their team of seven lawyers and two support professionals, join Kennedys on 1 October 2024. Their arrival takes Kennedys’ total number of staff in New Zealand to over 25.
Kennedys’ new Wellington team brings extensive experience acting for clients across insurance, commercial litigation, employment, health and safety, construction and health/medical law, which closely aligns with Kennedys' structure and insurance focus in Australasia. They will work closely with partners Kim Burkhart and Jess Keating in the firm’s Auckland office to provide wider national support and capability to assist clients to effectively resolve disputes, manage claims, and navigate emerging risks and opportunities in New Zealand and the Pacific.
Kim Burkhart, partner for Kennedys in New Zealand comments: “We have known and worked alongside the Darroch Forrest team for some time. Their proven experience and strong understanding of the local market make them the perfect fit to help Kennedys provide a truly national service through a second office in Wellington. Like Kennedys, they also hold people (He Tāngata) at the heart of their philosophy, and Jess and I are looking forward to working with our whole New Zealand team on the many exciting opportunities ahead.”
Alistair Darroch, co-founder of Darroch Forrest adds: “We know Kim, Jess and the Kennedys New Zealand team well, and are excited by the opportunity to join together and share a new beginning with the wider Kennedys team.”
Kennedys’ APAC Managing Partner, Matt Andrews also comments: “Expanding our New Zealand footprint and depth of talent in line with our core practices is another exciting chapter in Kennedys’ APAC growth story, and a strategic move towards our vision to be a leading legal and risk advisory for clients in the regions we serve. I’m delighted to welcome Alistair, Lauren and Ben and their team to Kennedys, and look forward to visiting our new Wellington home soon.”
We know Kim, Jess and the Kennedys New Zealand team well, and are excited by the opportunity to join together and share a new beginning with the wider Kennedys team.
The addition of a Wellington office brings the total number of Kennedys partners in Australia and New Zealand to 29. This follows the recent arrival of three partners and a team of 16 in the firm’s insurance team in Melbourne, and the appointment of Mark Errington to lead Kennedys’ Property and Energy practice in Singapore and Asia.
Insurance and reinsurance
Construction and engineering
New Zealand