Kennedys adds a further 17 in annual global partner promotions round

Kennedys has added 17 partners to the partnership following our annual promotions round, taking the total of partners worldwide to 349. Promotions will take effect on 1 May 2024.

The new cohort is made up of 9 women and 8 men and spans our global network of offices.

Region	Full name	Location
APAC	Bertha Ng	Hong Kong
APAC	Nathan Buck	Sydney
APAC	Con Kakakios	Sydney
EMEA	Reem Bangina	Dubai
EMEA	Mehdi Seadon	Dubai
EMEA	Rishi Sengupta	Dubai
North America	Ryan McInerney	Basking Ridge
North America	Nate French	Chicago
North America	Colin Willmott	Chicago
North America	Hilary Simon	New York
North America	Shain Wasser	San Francisco
UK	Lauren Gosnell	Manchester
UK	Elisa Peachey	London
UK	Laura Madders	London
UK	Philip Kusiak	London
UK	Rebecca Maby	London
UK	Vicki Teasdale	London

Nick Thomas, Senior Partner, said: “The success of the firm is down to the exceptional talent of our people. We are committed to developing our people and rewarding their contribution to our success. We pride ourselves on having clear routes to success and work hard to invest in our people, and so it is incredibly rewarding to be able to welcome this year’s cohort into the partnership.

“Each and every one of them has worked hard to reach this milestone in their career, bringing depth and breadth of knowledge to their colleagues and clients. I look forward to watching their careers progress further.”

Alan Demirkaya, Chief People Officer, said: “We place a real emphasis on investing in and nurturing our talent, as our people are our business. By providing clear career progression, a supportive culture and an inclusive working environment  where they can thrive. We want to watch their careers grow with us as we become the destination for talent in the legal market.”

Further information about our new partners is included below:

Bertha Ng specialises in complex commercial litigation and arbitration, financial services regulatory investigations and white collar crime. She regularly acts for financial sector entities, international and Hong Kong-based companies, professionals working in regulated industries and high-net worth individuals. Bertha joined Kennedys in Hong Kong as a Trainee Solicitor in 2010, was promoted to Senior Associate in 2019 and Of Counsel in 2020. She is a graduate of the University of Warwick and The Chinese University of Hong Kong. 

Nathan Buck's practice focusses on defamation, reputational, brand and crisis management, professional indemnity, directors’ and officers’ liability, sports law, inquiries and inquests, strata disputes and migration agents indemnity. Nathan represents insurers across all lines of business and has significant experience in both coverage and defence work. Nathan is based in Sydney.

Con Kakakios has over 23 years of experience defending public and product liability claims. He is an accredited specialist in personal injury law with strong experience in handling all types of civil liability personal injury claims, including catastrophic injury and death claims. Con also acts in large-scale and technically complex property damage and industrial accident claims, as well as for manufacturers, occupiers and employers in dust diseases claims. Con is based in Sydney.

Reem Bangina leads the aviation and transport practice for Kennedys’ Dubai office, with over 11 years’ experience working as part of the firm’s global aviation team. She is an English qualified lawyer who specialises in handling contentious aviation/aerospace, transport and logistics matters across multiple jurisdictions. She has extensive experience in advising airlines, general aviation operators, airports, ground handling agents and their (re)insurers in all aspects of aviation liability/insurance across multiple jurisdictions. She has extensive experience in litigation and various legal systems worldwide, with a particular focus on the Middle East and Africa regions. Reem also possesses significant expertise in the general transportation, logistics and supply chain sectors and provides legal assistance as to all aspects of her clients' activities in these areas. Reem is based in Dubai.

Mehdi Seadon has over 12 years’ experience specialising in insurance and reinsurance law in the United Arab Emirates and England & Wales. His practice is focused on insurance coverage work in property, energy and construction, financial lines, trade credit and aviation related claims. Mehdi handles litigation before the courts (including the DIFC and ADGM Courts), in arbitration, and mediation. He regularly advises clients on the merits and pursuit of subrogated recoveries. His caseload involves international disputes involving risks across the Middle East and North Africa. Mehdi is based in Dubai.

Rishi Sengupta specialises in complex commercial disputes with an emphasis on construction and insurance/reinsurance. Rishi advises and represents insurers, reinsurers, contractors, sub-contractors, and on instructions from (re)insurers, and acts as defence counsel of various professionals and commercial enterprises. Rishi also provides coverage advice to insurers/reinsurers (in relation to Errors & Omissions (E&O), Directors & Officers (D&O), Commercial General Liability (CGL), Professional Indemnity (PI), Erection/Construction All Risks (EAR/CAR), Machinery Breakdown, Property, Jewellers Block, Bankers Blanket Bond, and Commercial Crime insurance policies, mainly issued in India and the Middle East. Rishi also has experience in dealing with claims, disputes and coverage issues whilst working with local counsel across various other international jurisdictions, including Afghanistan, Australia, Gibraltar, USA, and the UK. Rishi is based in Dubai.

Ryan McInerney has experience with a wide range of matters including insurance coverage, medical malpractice, toxic tort, product liability, criminal defense, employment, and administrative and municipal law. His current practice is focused on representing insureds and insurers in relation to personal injury claims, specifically general premises and motor vehicle accidents. Ryan is based in Basking Ridge.

Nate French has significant experience defending clients in commercial, product liability and toxic tort litigation. He has a successful track record representing both Fortune 500 Companies and small businesses in Illinois and Missouri against a variety of mass tort claims including asbestos silica and Benzene. In addition, Nate has experience representing clients in state and federal court insurance claims involving commercial transportation and premises liability. Nate is based in Chicago.

Colin Willmott's practice includes counselling and defending insurers in third-party matters involving primary and excess commercial liability policies, commercial auto, and law enforcement liability. Colin also focuses his practice on first-party property matters due to catastrophic losses, including wildfires and hailstorms. He has successfully defended insurers in matters across the US at both the trial court and appellate levels. Colin is based in Chicago.

Hilary Simon represents domestic and international insured and insurers, individuals, Fortune 500 companies, and product manufacturers and distributors in matters involving professional liability, premises liability, negligent security, property damage, subrogation, products liability, employment and commercial contract litigation. Additionally, Hilary handles cases involving commercial building owners, general contractors and subcontractors in actions brought pursuant to New York Labor Law. Hilary is based in New York.

Shain Wasser's practice focuses on personal injury matters involving catastrophic injuries, emotional injuries, brain damage and wrongful death. Shain also handles coverage matters. In addition, she handles business and civil litigation matters including product liability, premises liability, construction defect, employment related matters and commercial litigation. Shain rounds out her practice by handling various types of insurance coverage matters. Shain is a partner in Kennedys’ San Francisco office, but is based out of Los Angeles.

Lauren Gosnell has over 13 years’ experience in dealing with complex and catastrophic claims, including claims involving tetraplegia, paraplegia and other spinal cord injuries, significant brain injuries, severe orthopaedic injuries, neurological functional disorders and psychiatric damage. She has experience in dealing with claims with complex arguments on causation, both factual and medical, and claims involving underlying genetic conditions and the impact on life expectancy. She deals with a varied caseload of employer’s liability, public liability and motor claims and has also dealt with claims in other global jurisdictions; in particular, in France and Italy. Lauren is based in Manchester.

Elisa Peachey currently leads the firm’s Risk & Compliance function in UK & EMEA advising the business on matters of risk management, quality and conduct as well as regulatory and legislative compliance. Elisa joined Kennedys in-house risk & compliance team in 2010, following qualification as a solicitor in 2009. Her previous practice includes experience of both Claimant and Defendant insurance litigation from small track motor liability to large professional indemnity claims, with a later focus on solicitors’ negligence. Elisa is based in London.

Laura Madders advises insurer and reinsurer clients on complex, high value and often-multi jurisdictional property, casualty and excess liability coverage disputes, including disputes on the Bermuda Form. She has acted for insurers in coverage litigation and arbitrations across many lines of business including political risk, trade credit, product liability and recall, environmental liability and fine art and specie. Laura has extensive experience of all forms of dispute resolution, including litigation and arbitration, often involving a multi-jurisdictional element. In particular, Laura has litigated insurance coverage disputes relating to avoidance for fraud, misrepresentation and non-disclosure.  Laura is based in London. 

Philip Kusiak is an insurance and reinsurance specialist with expertise in high-value and complex coverage matters across many lines of business including liability, property, directors & officers liability and product liability/product recall insurance. He advises insurers and reinsurers on coverage issues arising from major catastrophe losses including natural and environmental disasters and mass tort litigation in various jurisdictions. Philip is experienced in direct and excess layer coverage litigation and arbitration under several policy forms, including the Bermuda Form. Philip is based in London.

Rebecca Maby specialises in the defence of complex liability claims for the public sector. She has over 16 years’ experience working in this area, and advises local authorities, police forces and their insurers. Rebecca has particular expertise in social services abuse claims, cases involving complex duty of care issues and human rights claims. 

Vicki Teasdale is part of Kennedys’ claims handling team. Vicki has over 20 years’ experience of acting on behalf of insurers and managing teams in the London insurance market - working for leading law firms, insurers and a Lloyd’s syndicate. She started her London market career at the Bar Mutual Indemnity Fund managing professional negligence claims against barristers. Vicki is based in London.