Mark Skinner

After qualifying as a solicitor in 1993 Mark joined Kennedys in 2009 and has been a Partner since 2011. Until 2016 he was based in our London office before heading down to the Southwest where he is currently based in Taunton.

The focus of Mark’s practice is the defence of insurers in relation to third party claims which range from complex injury claims through to multi-party construction and property damage claims and recoveries.

He has increasingly focussed in the last 10 years on the SME market where instructions vary widely to embrace brain injury, spinal injuries, chronic pain, and the full range of orthopaedic injury in addition to non-injury tort claims and defence of recoveries. He has wide experience of claims in the construction, retail, leisure, agricultural, animals/pets and motor markets with the common thread being complexity of liability which is an area that he particularly enjoys. Much of his work stems from the London Market.

The nature of the market has meant increasing instructions to consider coverage on SME liability insurance books, and he is adept at working with insurers, insureds, brokers, and adjusters to ensure that a fair and realistic approach is taken with the overall aim of fulfilling the client’s objectives when the business was written. He understands the relationship between capacity providers and MGAs and regularly advises regarding such business.

Mark conducts JSMs without counsel as and when required and recognises that cases are best settled from positions of strength in so far as that can be engineered but understands that sometimes a quick settlement is the best outcome. When a claim requires resistance, he has a strong track record of winning cases and has enjoyed three successes in the Court of Appeal regarding liability judgments and is yet to lose.

As part of the Serious and Catastrophic Injury Steering Committee, he has access to and helps formulate a range of innovative products and approaches which are evolving constantly to meet the changing claims and judicial landscape. In that context he welcomes instructions where there is a need for forensic analysis of quantum and anomalies which need cost effective exploration.

He is assisted by high-quality and experienced lawyers in his Taunton team, who apply the same principles to case handling and are highly regarded for the way they work with clients.

Mark is a member of the Forum of Insurance Lawyers (FOIL).