Kennedys promotes record number to global partnership

Nick Thomas, senior partner, said: “I am delighted to recognise and reward a record number of new partners this year and to see that success shared so widely across our global offices.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have such a dedicated and diverse workforce, which not only enables us to be where our clients need us most but has allowed us to continue growing even during a challenging couple of years.

“Our people are integral to our success and that’s why we place such emphasis on investing in and nurturing our talent, providing clear career progression, and a comfortable, inclusive working environment where they can thrive.

“Our recent diversity and inclusion survey, which gathered the views of more than 1,000 colleagues, found that the majority felt we achieved that. We recognise there is always more we could do, but that’s really pleasing to hear.” 

In the last 12 months we have opened three new offices in Perth, Oman and Delaware, doubled our footprint in Madrid and formed new associations in Turkey, Bolivia and Ecuador, as well as welcoming a total of 18 lateral hires, across our international network.

Earlier this year, we also announced the next major phase of our ‘WorkWise’ global transformation programme, to move our London team into new office space in the city’s iconic Walkie-Talkie building.

UK partner promotions

Kavan Bakhda is part of the international litigation and arbitration team in London, and specialises in complex commercial litigation. He has a broad commercial practice and has advised on a number of high profile cases involving a variety of multinational banks, funds, businesses and ultra-high-net-worth individuals. Kavan devises strategy on high value commercial claims in relation to fraud, breach of contract, breach of representations and warranties in post M&A transactions, obtaining injunctive relief such as freezing injunctions as well as claims in defamation.

George Chaisty is part of Kennedys’ cyber and data risk team, and is based in Manchester. The main aspect of George’s practice is data breach response, but he also specialises in data subject litigation and data privacy advisory work. George advises insurers, their insured clients and uninsured corporate entities in the wake of a wide variety of cyber incidents, including ransomware and business email compromise in particular. Given the typically far-reaching impact of these cyber incidents, George regularly works with his international colleagues around the world.

Rhys Davies is based in the London office and is a member of the financial and political risks team. Rhys’ practice has a particular focus on the political risk and trade credit, and political violence insurance markets, and he is involved in many forms of dispute resolution including litigation, arbitration and mediation. In addition, Rhys has significant experience in the financial lines market acting for insurers in respect of D&O, civil liability, and crime policies. A substantial amount of his practice is multi-jurisdictional, covering Latin America, North America, EMEA, and Africa.

Angela Fisher is a property, energy and construction specialist in Birmingham.  She acts for and advises on construction, property damage, product liability, professional negligence disputes and associated coverage issues. Angela has experience handling claims arising from fire, flood, defective construction works, defective design, defective products and latent defects, as well as commercial construction related issues. She has extensive experience of handling high value multi-party litigated cases, adjudications and mediations. 

Nicola Pangbourne is based in London and works for a variety of London Market insurers and their insureds. Nicola’s practice predominantly focuses on advising insurers and reinsurers on policy coverage issues arising from financial lines products, including financial institutions policies, directors’ and officers’ liability policies, crime and computer crime policies, professional indemnity policies and trustee liability policies. Part of her practice also involves the defence of insured professionals in court proceedings and regulatory actions.

Avinder Sidhu specialises in investigating and defending clinical negligence claims made against the NHS with a particular focus on birth injuries and complex litigation.  She also has day to day responsibility for supervision of a team of lawyers in Birmingham dealing with claims within a wide range of medical specialisms.  Important aspects of Avinder’s work include focusing on safety and learning and alternative dispute resolution.   Avinder feedbacks on learning from claims and regularly  represents her clients at mediations.

Katie Tonks is based in Kennedys’ Birmingham office and represents NHS Resolution and a number of medmal insurers in relation to clinical negligence claims. She specialises in claims brought against GPs, Trusts and Consultants undertaking private work. She deals with a broad range of clinical negligence claims including high value birth injury cases and high value cases involving neurological injuries.

Australia partner promotions

Nicholas Blackmore is based in Australia and specialises in data privacy and cyber insurance law, general commercial and regulatory compliance, and technology procurement. Dual qualified in Hong Kong, Nicholas advises clients in Australia and throughout the Asia Pacific on cyber incidents and data breaches, from notification to complete incident management. His advises on IT procurement and contracts and e-commerce ventures of all sizes. Nicholas also advises insurers and corporate clients on a wide range of regulatory and compliance matters.

Stephanie Cook specialises in property claims with experience handling high-value, complex first party property disputes, multi-party property liability claims, matters involving suspected fraud and professional indemnity claims, particularly against construction professionals. Based in Australia Stephanie is also qualified in England and Wales and advises domestic and international insurers on a wide range of coverage issues.

Peter Craney is an insurance specialist with marine, aviation, casualty and property expertise. Peter, who is based in Australia, advises on coverage disputes, acts as defence counsel, pursues subrogated recoveries and provides advice on insurance product development. His practice includes commercial and shipping advisory work, litigation and arbitration. Peter represents Australian, Lloyd’s, London and overseas market (re)insurers, shipping and transport companies, major airlines, and construction companies.

Persephone Forster is an employment law specialist and litigator in our Australian office. Persephone represents clients on the spectrum of workplace issues arising in the employment lifecycle. She acts for public and private sector clients across an array of industry sectors including insurance, banking, aged care, education and professional services. Persephone regularly advises on sensitive exit situations, the protection of confidential information and managing complex workforce change to name a few.

Llinos Kent is an experienced insurance specialist dual qualified in Australia and England and Wales. Llinos advises on issues of Australian and English law, particularly policy response and coverage issues relating to financial lines (including D&O, professional indemnity, crime and trustee liability), investment management insurance, cyber and warranty and indemnity policies. Llinos also manages a large caseload of Australian and UK claims for a variety of professions.

Maya Parbhoo is an experienced healthcare specialist and litigator in our Australian office. Maya acts for medical practitioners and allied health professionals, advising on medical negligence claims, regulation and disciplinary proceedings, coronial inquests and Medicare audits. Maya has extensive experience in medico-legal matters and court jurisdictions, especially the management of high quantum and complex claims involving catastrophic injuries, and advising doctors appearing before the Australia Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and the Medical Board of Australia.

EMEA partner promotions

Heidi Bloch is part of Kennedys’ Copenhagen team and manages complex financial lines, transportation/marine claims as well as all manner of personal injury claims representing insurers and local authorities with a particular emphasis on employers’ liability and claims related to the Workers’ Compensation Act. Heidi has extensive experience in dispute resolution and was admitted to the Danish Supreme Court in 2013.

Martina O’Mahoney is based in Kennedys’ Dublin office and following many years in-house as a defence litigation solicitor with a global insurer, she has developed extensive experience in managing claims. Martina provides tailored legal advice to fleets, retailers, hoteliers, and financial institutions, with a focus on personal injury claims relating to employers liability, public liability, defamation, product liability and motor. Martina is a co-author of the Kennedys Claims Handling Law and Practice Guide. She is ACII qualified having completed the  Advanced Diploma in Insurance with the Chartered Insurance Institute and the Professional Diploma in Insurance with the University College Dublin.

US partner promotions

Bevin Carroll is based in the Chicago office where she focuses on complex insurance coverage matters, including those involving construction, environmental, toxic tort, products liability, professional liability, directors’ and officers’ liability, and property damage issues. She has experience litigating cases in state and federal courts throughout the United States.

Daniel Lockwood, who works in the Austin office, specializes in the structure and nuances of CGL policies, E&O policies, D&O policies, excess and umbrella coverage, and first-party property insurance. In addition, Daniel represents commercial clients with respect to complex business transactions, contract disputes, products liability suits, professional liability claims, and other commercial litigation.

Nitin Sain, who is based in the New York office, handles matters dealing with New York Labor Law, premises liability, property damage, motor vehicle law, product liability, intentional assault and general negligence matters. He is proficient in managing all phases of discovery and trial preparation. Nitin possess a proven track record for obtaining favourable outcomes through motion practice, negotiations, alternate dispute resolutions and trial practice.

Danielle Valliere is located in the Basking Ridge office. Her practice is primarily focused on complex insurance coverage matters where she represents domestic and international insurers providing primary, excess, and reinsurance coverage to a variety of public and private entities. She regularly provides pre-suit coverage advice and counselling and has experience litigating in federal and state courts and pursuing alternative dispute resolution.

Jedidiah Vander Klok, who is based in the Miami office, focuses his on complex insurance coverage matters. Jedidiah counsels domestic and international insurers on all phases of claim and dispute resolution for a variety of first- and third-party coverage and claims-handling issues. He represents clients in the areas of commercial property and casualty insurance, Bermuda-form and manuscript policies, employer’s liability, and cyber risk, and is a member of the Cyber Practice Group at Kennedys.

Diana Weller, based in the Miami office, has significant experience representing insurers domestically and in the London markets. She predominantly focuses on litigating insurance coverage issues related to property and casualty, general liability, marine, professional liability, bad faith, and breach of contract claims in state and federal courts. Diana also has a thriving defense practice, defending businesses and individuals in personal injury lawsuits, involving premises liability, manufacturing defects, and automobile accidents.

Josh Wirtshafter, located in Basking Ridge, focuses on representing insurance carriers in litigated disputes in the areas of commercial general liability, professional liability, and construction claims under standard domestic, Bermuda Form, and manuscript policies, including those issued out of the London Market. In recent years, he has developed experience in litigating a myriad of sports-related head trauma/concussion insurance claims, as well as insurance claims arising out of the nationwide opioid epidemic.

Lateral hires made since 1 May 2021