Kennedys appoints new insurance partner in Sydney

We are delighted to announce the appointment of insurance and commercial litigation specialist Alexandra Bartlett as a partner in the firm’s Insurance group in Sydney. Alex joins Kennedys from YPOL, where she was a director.

Alex practises in financial lines, D&O and professional indemnity, and has more than 15 years’ experience in defending claims and advising on coverage.

“Financial Lines is core to our insurance expertise and Alex’s appointment enables us to build on the work we are already doing with local and international clients,” said Kennedys managing partner Matt Andrews.

“In the last 5 years our insurance practice has more than doubled in size and we are pleased to welcome Alex to our growing team.”

Alex Bartlett said: “I am delighted to join Kennedys today. It is an excellent insurance firm with a strong reputation in the market.

“Insurance is a global industry, and being part of a global firm means that my insurer clients will have access to top-quality international legal resources.”

“Kennedy also has a modern outlook which is exciting – particularly with respect to its technology platforms and promotion of diversity.”

Alex’s appointment to the Kennedys team brings the firm’s gender ratio to just under 50:50, with seven women and eight men making up the firm’s 15 partners.

“It is important to me that I’m joining a firm with an almost-equal ratio of male and female partners,” said Alex. “Most insurers take their commitments to gender diversity seriously, and expect their legal advisers to engage in the genuine promotion of women.”

“I am pleased to be a partner in a firm that is as forward-thinking as its clients.”

Alex joins Kennedys at a pivotal time, as Australia emerges from lockdown and the insurance industry looks to the emerging developments that 2022 will bring.

“It’s an interesting time in insurance law; for instance, in the D&O space, everyone will be watching the market disclosure reforms and their impact on securities class actions,” Alex said.

“There have been many predictions from industry experts and in the media; it will be interesting to see how they play out,” she concluded.

Alex will work closely with Kennedys’ national financial lines team, led by managing partner Matt Andrews, which includes 5 partners in Sydney, and growing teams in Melbourne and Perth, led by recent lateral partners Emily Schneider and Jonathan Wyatt.