Kennedys promotes ten to global partnership

We are very pleased to announce that we have promoted ten lawyers to our partnership, with nine based in the UK and one in the US.

Those promoted to our global partnership are:

• Vittorio Cinque, Taunton: After qualifying in 2010, Vittorio joined Kennedys. With lead responsibility for the Claims Handling Team, he acts on behalf of insurers in defending professional negligence claims against solicitors, as well as architects, engineers and other construction professionals. With a background in construction, he has excellent insight into, and understanding of, the issues faced by construction clients.
• Jacqueline Curran, London: Having joined us as a trainee in 2006, Jacqueline qualified two years later. Working within our Commercial Division, with extensive experience in banking and finance, Jacqueline combines her commercial work with an established finance practice and acts for retail banks, private investors and insurers on in a broad range of financing transactions which include commercial contracts, advisory work, drafting framework agreements, international distribution agreements, consultancy, and introduction and collaboration agreements.
• Victoria Darby, London: Another former trainee, Victoria qualified in 2011 and specialises in high-value property, energy, construction and engineering insurance matters, acting for insurers in the UK and internationally, with a focus on the US, Europe and the Middle East. Earlier in her career she was the Vice President of Tomorrow’s FOIL (TFOIL), the Forum of Insurance Lawyers’ group for lawyers with 1-5 years PQE.
• Bill Evans, London: Initially qualifying in Queensland, Australia, Bill spent two years working there as a solicitor before relocating to London and joining us in 2008. He has experience of operating in a wide range of international jurisdictions, and acts for contractors and insurers in substantial fire, flood and property damage claims, and on behalf of product liability insurers in claims regarding defective products that have led to property damage.
• Daniel Freeman, London: Working in our Healthcare Division, Daniel advises both private insurers and NHS Trusts. After qualifying in 2009 at Kennedys, Daniel has built up wide-ranging experience working for medical malpractice insurers and NHS Resolution dealing with clinical negligence claims, defending general practitioners, plastic surgeons and orthopaedic surgeons. He also deals with complex, high value clinical negligence litigation involving both child and adult neurological injury.

• Camilla Long, Cambridge: A clinical negligence lawyer with over 20 years’ experience, Camilla joined us in 2011. She specialises in all aspects of clinical negligence on behalf of NHS Resolution, NHS Trusts, private healthcare insurers, general practitioners and Clinical Commissioning Groups. She also handles high-value claims including those involving adult neurological damage and perinatal brain injury.
• Naomi North, Birmingham: Since joining us in 2011, Naomi splits her time between the firm’s Birmingham and London offices and heads the firm’s Motor Crime Team. She specialises in criminal representation of professional and lay drivers following serious injury and fatal collisions and also authored the motor prosecution chapter in the third edition of our ‘Claims Handling Law and Practice’ guide for practitioners, published in 2018.
• Thomas R Orofino, New York: Admitted in New York, and the US District Court (Eastern and Southern Districts of NY), Tom represents US and UK insurers on a range of complex insurance matters involving financial institution bonds, commercial crime policies, professional indemnity policies and other specialty line products. Prior to joining the firm, he served as a specialty underwriter for a major international insurer.
• Mirjam Schorr, London: Dual-qualified in Germany (2003) and in England and Wales (2006), Mirjam’s practice encompasses insurance/reinsurance, product liability, employers’ liability, environmental liability, and health and safety law. Specialising in complex cross-border disputes, she regularly advises on questions of jurisdiction and private international law.
• Richard Whybrew, Chelmsford: Richard joined us in 2015 and heads the Property Damage Team in our Chelmsford office. He has extensive experience in pursuing subrogated recoveries for insurers across the full range of perils and is also experienced in product liability claims resulting in property damage and regularly advises insurers on coverage issues.

Elsewhere, partner Christopher Malla becomes head of our Healthcare Division which comprises over 80 lawyers across the firm’s Birmingham, Cambridge and London offices. Having joined us as a trainee in 1995, Christopher became a partner in 2002 and splits his time between our Birmingham and London offices.

Nick Thomas, Senior Partner of Kennedys, says: “We’re committed to ensuring all of our lawyers have clear routes to progress, so it’s reassuring to be able to welcome so many new partners. Personally, it’s also incredibly rewarding for me to see so many of our lawyers follow the same route that I took, from trainee to partner with Kennedys, in this year’s promotions. I welcome all ten lawyers to the partnership and wish them every future success.”

Our worldwide partner count is now at 264, with our total headcount exceeding 2000 for the first time in our history.

Since 1 January, we have strengthened our Southeast Asia operations with the appointment of partner Akramjeet Khaira, and his team, to our Singapore office and the promotion of Ian Johnston to partner in Bangkok. We have also strengthened our international arbitration capabilities with the appointment of Celine Abi Habib Kanakri as a partner to our office in Dubai.