Anna Weiss

Regional Managing Partner for LATAM and Caribbean, Foreign Legal Consultant, (Not Admitted to Practice Law in Florida) | Miami, United States

Profile

Anna is the Regional Managing Partner for Latin America and the Caribbean. In her role as Regional Managing Partner she is responsible for the development and growth of Kennedys’ offices in the Latin American and Caribbean region.

Originally from the UK, Anna joined Kennedys in 2013 on relocating to the United States. She commenced her legal career with a leading law firm in London in 2003, qualifying as a solicitor in England and Wales in 2005. She is an expert in construction, with vast experience in contract management and commercial legal advice, having worked in the construction industry for 15 years. As such she heads up the Construction and Engineering Team for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Anna’s legal career has also taken her in-house where she was seconded to AEG Europe, the entertainment company that developed the Millennium Dome into The O2. Over the four years or more that Anna worked for AEG Europe, she developed her commercial and corporate legal experience (handling all types of legal agreement, including operating agreements, insurance policies and placement, sponsorship agreements, artist contracts, sports events, venue rentals, funding agreements, planning licences and real estate issues). She also led on the construction and engineering needs of the venue, navigating a range of lifecycle challenges and technical complexities during the development. Anna also acted for the London river transport company Thames Clippers where she negotiated the introduction of Oyster on the riverboats, challenged speed restrictions and handled their sponsorship and operating agreements. Having served as in-house counsel, Anna is equally familiar with handling commercial negotiations and disputes from the perspective of a client.

Now at Kennedys, she brings all her previous experience together to offer her clients an all-encompassing holistic service whatever their needs. With an English Law qualification, Anna is well placed to assist the London Market on losses arising in Latin America and the Caribbean. Anna works for insurers and reinsurers on claims and coverage issues, particularly on CAR/EAR, hurricane damage and property losses. In addition, Anna has extensive experience defending architects and engineers in professional malpractice claims. Anna is also a member of our Caribbean practice team.

More recently, we are seeing an ever-increasing demand for commercial advice for insurers and their insured clients across multiple industry sectors, especially in construction where we are providing non-contentious legal advice on issues pertaining to contract law and procurement. Anna currently advises clients on contract management. Not only does this mitigate against the risk of a full blown claim/dispute, it provides a valuable support for clients to manage disputes at an earlier stage and can assist with the completion of projects in a more amicable way.

Anna contributed to Kennedys' 'Global forecast 2024: Evolving insurance risks' report, published in January 2024.

Anna works in English, Spanish, and French.

Anna Weiss, Regional Managing Partner for Latin America and the Caribbean, is rated for corporate and commercial engagements, along with construction and engineering.

Qualifications and admissions

  • Qualified in England and Wales in 2005
  • Foreign Legal Consultant, (Not Admitted to Practice Law in Florida)

Market recognition

  • Recommended lawyer for 'City focus: Miami (Miami)'
    "Anna Weiss, Regional Managing Partner for Latin America and the Caribbean, is rated for corporate and commercial engagements, along with construction and engineering."
    The Legal 500 Latin America 2023
  • Recommended lawyer for 'City focus: Miami (Miami)'
    The Legal 500 Latin America 2022
  • Recommended lawyer for 'City focus: Miami (Miami)'
    The Legal 500 Latin America 2021

Work highlights

  • Handling claims for London Reinsurers, each in excess of $10 million USD regarding a failing hydro electrical projects in Brazil and Chile
  • Managing a $10 million USD surety claim in Bolivia for an Argentinian insurer
  • Advising a large engineering firm on the defence of a claim in Jamaica regarding some construction works they were undertaking on a road way project
  • Advising the London Market on Hurricane loses in the Caribbean post Irma and Maria
  • Providing non-contentious construction advice to a local Peruvian subcontractor on the contracts governing a newly procured phase of a development in Peru
  • Advising a highly specialised client on his contractual negotiations in a development in Kuwait which are subject to English Law in an effort to avoid a claim from arising