Kennedys bolsters insurance offering in Manchester with team hire

We have strengthened our commercial lines insurance capabilities with the appointment of a team to our Manchester office led by Nick Bond, who joins as Partner, and Robert Steele as Consultant.

Formerly of BLM, Nick and Robert - who will be joined by two solicitors – have almost 40 years’ experience between them, acting for insurers, brokers, local authorities and a variety of commercial organisations. Joining next month, the team will deal with a broad range of disputes, with particular emphasis on property damage (liability defence), construction, policy coverage, policy drafting, product liability and recall. The team will also provide a subrogated recovery service, ranging from high value multi-jurisdictional matters, to designing and managing bespoke property damage recovery schemes.

The new team will complement our existing insurance and claims practice in Manchester, which currently has a strong focus on professional indemnity and personal injury.

This latest development will add to the growth of our Manchester office, which was strengthened last year when we merged with berg - one of the city’s most respected commercial litigation law firms.

Nick Bond adds: “Kennedys offers us the platform to use our expertise, market knowledge and local contacts to build our client offering. Its reach and commitment to clients means I am confident we will rapidly go from strength to strength. We share the same vision and I am particularly attracted to Kennedys’ values and innovation drive.”

We opened our Manchester office in 2008 and, in October 2017, moved into larger premises in the city to accommodate growth in the region. Once the team joins, the Manchester office headcount will increase to 115 people, eleven of whom will be Partners.