Record promotion round at Kennedys as new legal director role introduced

We are pleased to announce we have promoted 86 associates to senior associate and introduced a new legal director role, with 44 legal directors and two special counsel also promoted.

The legal director role is introduced in the UK, EMEA, Singapore and Latin America, and is known as of counsel in Hong Kong and special counsel in Bangkok. The role has been in place in Australia for a number of years now and the title special counsel is used.

This role creates a stronger career structure for senior lawyers at the firm, recognising experienced and technically excellent lawyers who have progressed beyond the senior associate level.

The new career structure, which is part of the firm’s continued focus on developing and attracting talent, gives senior associates the option of progressing either to legal director or directly to partnership. Legal directors will also have the option of progressing to the partnership in the future.

Nick Thomas, global senior partner, Kennedys says: “The new structure is closely linked with Kennedys’ growth agenda and international focus. The fact that we have been able to make so many promotions this year is testament to how members of our global team have risen to the challenges presented by the pandemic and have demonstrated renewed dedication, hard work, commitment and resilience. We’re all the stronger for it.”

Suzanne Liversidge, global managing partner, Kennedys, says: “Congratulations to all 132 who have been promoted. They deserve it. The promotions send a clear message that we offer great progression opportunities across the firm. We want to keep developing career structures that attract and retain top talent across our global offices.”

Suzanne Liversidge Square (1)
The promotions send a clear message that we offer great progression opportunities across the firm. We want to keep developing career structures that attract and retain top talent across our global offices.

Caroline Wilson, global HR director at Kennedys says: “Attracting and developing talent is key to Kennedys continued growth. The role has been in place in Australia for a number of years, and we’ve now introduced it globally. The creation of the legal director role is part of our continued efforts to invest in our people across the business, whether it’s those at the very start of their careers or our senior fee-earners. This change to our career structure gives our lawyers a clear understanding of what they need to do in order to progress their careers at Kennedys, with different options available to suit individuals’ particular skills and experience.”

Those progressing to legal director/of or special counsel will be invited to take part in Kennedys global leadership programme. The programme is intended to enable them to further build their practice and market presence, whilst also enhancing their leadership capability and global strategic networks.

This promotion round follows the ten partner promotions announced in May and coincides with the firm welcoming 34 trainees: In August, the UK welcomed 23 trainees on a training contract, while a further 11 trainees join in September via the SQE training programme. The firm has a 92% trainee retention rate.

Earlier this year we implemented our hybrid working policy which allows its people to work from home up to 40% of the time. The policy is designed to promote a sustainable work-life balance, and are a result of having successfully adapted to new working patterns as a result of the global pandemic.

Legal director / special counsel* promotions

 Name

Division

Region – Office

Edwina Fenwick *

Insurance and Liability

Asia Pacific – Australia, Melbourne

Jonathan Shakenovsky *

 Insurance

Asia Pacific – Australia, Sydney

Heidi Bloch

Insurance and Commercial

EMEA – Denmark, Copenhagen

Medea Peterson

Insurance

EMEA – Denmark, Copenhagen

Martina O'Mahoney

Liability

EMEA – Ireland, Dublin

Jose Pellicer

Insurance

EMEA – Spain, Madrid

Catalina Botero

Insurance

LATAM – Colombia, Bogotá

Juan Puerto

Insurance

LATAM – Colombia, Bogotá

Vanessa Vargas

Insurance

LATAM – Mexico, Mexico City

Frances Thompson

Insurance

UK - Belfast

Megan Boyd

Belfast

UK - Belfast

Angela Fisher

Insurance

UK - Birmingham

Avinder Sidhu

Healthcare

UK - Birmingham

Katie Tonks

Healthcare

UK - Birmingham

Sandip Sidhu

Liability

UK - Birmingham

Louise Houliston

Liability

UK - Edinburgh

Alex Riley

Liability

UK - London

Alex Scard

Commercial

UK - London

Anna Haigh

Insurance

UK - London

Ben Appleton

Liability

UK - London

Darren Bradshaw

Commercial

UK - London

David Froome

Healthcare

UK - London

David Robinson

Insurance

UK - London

Debbie Larkin

Insurance

UK - London

Dónal Clark

Insurance

UK - London

Elizabeth Wheal

Insurance

UK - London

Erica Aldridge

Commercial

UK - London

Felicity Ingram

Insurance

UK - London

Karishma Paroha

Insurance

UK - London

Laura Madders

Insurance

UK - London

Nathalie Smyth

Insurance

UK - London

Nicola Pangbourne

Insurance

UK - London

Rekha Cooke

Insurance

UK - London

Rhys Davies

Insurance

UK - London

Robin White

Insurance

UK - London

Russell Wright

Insurance

UK - London

Shaan Burton

Insurance

UK - London

Stephanie Power

Liability

UK - London

Tim Hague

Insurance

UK - London

Andrew Davidson

Commercial

UK - Manchester

Lucy Suddaby

Insurance

UK - Manchester

Scott Nightingale

Insurance

UK - Manchester

Geoffrey Shreeve

Insurance

UK – Manchester

Laura Siddall

Liability

UK - Sheffield

Danielle De Val

Insurance

UK - Taunton

Michelle Johnston

Insurance

UK - Taunton

 

Senior associate promotions

Name

Division

Region

Dilani Patrick

Insurance

Asia Pacific – Australia, Melbourne

Nicholas Driver

Insurance and Commercial

Asia Pacific – Australia, Melbourne

Ingrid Kristiansen

Insurance

Asia Pacific – Australia, Sydney

Nigel Chan

Insurance and Commercial

Asia Pacific – Hong Kong

Victoria Lee

Liability and Healthcare

Asia Pacific – Hong Kong

Vincent Chow

Insurance and Commercial

Asia Pacific – Hong Kong

Joshua Chan

Insurance

Asia Pacific - Singapore

Jason Yan

Commercial

Asia Pacific – Singapore

Peerasak Sukpisit

Commercial

Asia Pacific – Thailand, Bangkok

Martin Trier

Insurance

EMEA – Denmark, Copenhagen

Thomas Arleth

Liability and Healthcare

EMEA – Denmark, Copenhagen

Erin Turner

Insurance

EMEA  - Ireland, Dublin

Mark Dunne

Insurance

EMEA - Ireland, Dublin

Cian McGrath

Liability

EMEA – Ireland, Dublin

Graham Duggan

Liability

EMEA – Ireland, Dublin

Michael Prior

Insurance

EMEA – Ireland, Dublin

Shanna Dunne

Healthcare

EMEA – Ireland, Dublin

Luis Paulino

Commercial and Insurance

EMEA – Portugal, Lisbon

Alicia Fole

Insurance

EMEA – Spain, Madrid

Marta Parrondo

Insurance

EMEA – Spain, Madrid

Arnaud Attias

Insurance and Commercial

EMEA – France, Paris

Virginia Couto

Insurance

LATAM – Argentina, Buenos Aires

Pilar Giraldo Leon

Insurance

LATAM – Colombia, Bogotá

Sebastian Escobar Torres

 Insurance

LATAM – Colombia, Bogotá

Eduardo Ramos

Insurance

LATAM – Mexico, Mexico City

Kathryn Hume

Liability

UK - Birmingham

Laurence Vahey

Healthcare

UK - Birmingham

Rob Tanner

Liability

UK - Birmingham

Russell Hall

Liability

UK - Birmingham

Christian Lowden

Healthcare

UK – Birmingham

Eliza Kwok

Insurance

UK – Birmingham

Samantha Goward

Healthcare

UK - Cambridge

Colleen Upton

Healthcare

UK – Cambridge

Laurissa Wiltshire

Liability

UK - Chelmsford

Rhumer Hypolite

Liability

UK - Chelmsford

Ross Forest

Insurance

UK - Edinburgh

Kris Kane

Liability

UK – Edinburgh

Amber Jenner

Liability

UK - London

Andrew Hogan

Insurance

UK - London

Andrew Purdie

Liability

UK - London

Andrew Swarbrick

Liability

UK - London

Angela Roberts

Insurance

UK - London

Ben Loechner

Insurance

UK - London

Catriona Wheeler

Commercial

UK - London

Chris Marangou

Insurance

UK - London

Dave Kelly

Healthcare

UK - London

Donald McDonald

Insurance

UK - London

Ed Gibson

Insurance

UK - London

Elizabeth Mason

Insurance

UK - London

Florrie Southgate

Liability

UK - London

Holly Whittick

Liability

UK - London

Kim Carrim

Liability

UK - London

Lauren Brock

Liability

UK - London

Lisa Williams

Insurance

UK - London

Lorna Flynn

Insurance

UK - London

Louise Campbell

Insurance

UK - London

Louise Law

Liability

UK - London

Lucy Pragnell

Liability

UK - London

Madeleine Bertrand

Liability

UK - London

Matthew Bebb

Healthcare

UK - London

Michelle Naidoo

Insurance

UK - London

Milena Iyer

Liability

UK - London

Neil Shah

Insurance

UK - London

Nikki Baynes

Insurance

UK - London

Rachel Saunders

Insurance

UK - London

Robert Calnan

Insurance

UK - London

Robert Corrigan

Liability

UK - London

Roshan Sidhu

Insurance

UK - London

Sarah Ludlam

Commercial

UK - London

Stuart Farlow

Insurance

UK - London

Suzy Oakley

Insurance

UK - London

Tara Mukerji

Insurance

UK - London

Thomas Panter

Liability

UK - London

Andrew Robinson

Commercial

UK - Manchester

Arran Roberts

Insurance

UK - Manchester

Chloe Banks

Insurance

UK - Manchester

Triona Fitzgerald

Insurance

UK - Manchester

Daniel Rainsford

Commercial

UK – Manchester

Daniel Sandler

Liability

UK – Manchester

Gemma Williams

Insurance

UK – Manchester

Geraldine Wharton

Commercial

UK – Manchester

Kadie Cooper

Liability

UK - Sheffield

Rebecca Connell

Liability

UK - Sheffield

Sarah Lord

Healthcare

UK - Sheffield

Chris Murphy

Insurance

UK - Taunton

John Pain

Insurance

UK - Taunton