John Bruce
John.Bruce@kennedyslaw.com
+44 20 7667 9777
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Profile
John Bruce is Kennedys’ Senior Partner, and is based in London.
Prior to his appointment as the firm’s Senior Partner, John led Kennedys’ financial lines practice and was a member of the Executive Board. He joined Kennedys as a partner, in 2009.
As Senior Partner, John is responsible for leading the global strategic direction of the firm. He is supported by the firm’s Executive Group which comprises of five individuals who together, manage the global leadership responsibility of Kennedys.
John is a market leading figure in financial lines coverage matters having advised the insurance market on many of the most challenging and market significant coverage matters affecting the FI and D&O markets. Much of his fee earning work is international with cases involving many jurisdictions including the USA, Colombia, Australia, Greece, the Caribbean and Germany.
John is enthusiastic about the insurance and financial services industry, taking time to deeply analyse both sectors. He is the sole lawyer on the London Market Association’s Financial Institutions Underwriting Business Panel where he advises the committee on emerging issues and trends, realistic disaster scenario exercises and wordings. John is also a member of the Fraud Advisory Panel and the Forum of Insurance Lawyers (FOIL).
A keen lecturer in the UK and around the world, including the US, John also writes for the insurance press. Passionate about improving social mobility in the insurance and legal sectors, John is involved in a number of DE&I initiatives, including Dive In Festival 2024, the award winning global festival for diversity, equity and inclusion in insurance, which is run by Inclusion@Lloyds.
John started his term as Kennedys’ Senior Partner on 25 January 2025.
In the media:
- In conversation with Law360, John discussed his role as senior partner and shared his vision for Kennedys’ future.
Exceptional technical ability and client service.
Qualifications and admissions
- Qualified as a Solicitor in England and Wales in 1999
Market recognition
-
Recommended lawyer for 'Insurance and reinsurance litigation (London)'The Legal 500 UK 2024
- Nominated by respondents for delivering outstanding service in the last 12 months
“Exceptional technical ability and client service” and “Good communication and expertise”
The Gracechurch London Market Insurance Law Monitor 2023 - Notable practitioner for 'Insurance: Contentious Claims & Reinsurance (UK-wide)'
"John Bruce is pragmatic and commercial. He is very knowledgeable".
Chambers UK 2023 - Notable practitioner for 'Insurance: Contentious Claims & Reinsurance (UK-wide)'
"John is excellent - very knowledgeable and good at advising on claims strategy."
"He is an approachable and sensible lawyer who does well for his clients."
Chambers UK 2022 - Recommended lawyer for 'Insurance and reinsurance litigation (London)'
The Legal 500 UK 2022 - Notable practitioner for 'Insurance: Contentious claims, reinsurance and Volume claims (UK-wide)'
"He is straightforward and very easy to work with."
Chambers UK 2021 - “I would nominate him for his market knowledge, his expertise and his communication.”
The Gracechurch London Market Insurance Law Report 2019 - “He is very knowledgeable, he is positive to work with, he works very well with the market and he is accommodating. He's very efficient and he's got a commercial approach to claims.”
The Gracechurch London Market Insurance Law Report 2019 - “He just has a lot of great knowledge in the D&O and FI spheres. His technical ability is second to none. He is very commercial. Always thinks about how we can resolve a claim on a commercial basis, and he is very well respected in the market.”
The Gracechurch London Market Insurance Law Report 2019 - Recommended Lawyer for 'Professional negligence (London)'
The Legal 500 UK 2018/19
Awards
Work highlights
- Acting for insurers in relation to multi billion dollar fintech fraud loss and related claims on civil liability and D&O covers involving advice in the US, England and Israel.
- Successfully defending London Reinsurers in respect of crime claim losses in Colombian arbitration and subsequent appeals.
- Defending director in relation to breach of duty claim involving National Security and Investment Act 2021.
- Acting for insurers in relation to numerous US Securities Class Actions affecting English domiciled insureds.
- Acting for the market in relation to high value Greek coverage proceedings concerning significant Greek crime insurance loss (reportedly the highest value coverage dispute in Greece).
- Instructed in relation to US$167 million fraud arising out of the issuance of fraudulent warehouse receipts in respect of aluminium held in Qingdao, China.
- Instructed in relation to US$70 million claim against a Channel Islands domiciled airplanes securitization vehicle, with litigation before the New York courts.
- Instructed to defend claims brought against an IFA network in relation to a Ponzi scheme fraud committed by one of the network’s former advisers. Numerous claims in the courts and before the Financial Ombudsman Service, including judicial review proceedings.
- Acted for insurers in relation to £450 million coverage dispute arising from bank’s alleged mis-selling of interest rate hedging products. The dispute involved issues of both English and Australian law.
- Acting for London market insurers regarding various ongoing notifications and actions arising out of the Australian Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry.
- Successfully defended London-based stockbroker in relation to multi-million pound claim alleging failure to prevent misappropriation of client’s assets.
- Acted for insurers in relation to £50 million warranty and indemnity claim arising from a share sale in the telecoms sector.
Banking and finance
Insurance and reinsurance