Canada-Dentons has significantly strengthened its insurance capabilities by adding a team of nine lawyers and legal professionals in Canada. The team joins from Cassels, Brock & Blackwell LLP and includes five partners, three associates and one paraprofessional with expertise spanning corporate, regulatory and litigation. The team, led by partner Laurie LaPalme and based across Dentons’ Toronto and Calgary offices, will provide corporate and regulatory advice to insurance sector clients, and includes partners Derek Levinsky and Marisa Coggin, associates Taschina Ashmeade and Katie-May O’Donnell, as well as law clerk April Campbell (all based in Toronto).
They are joined by a team of strategic commercial litigators, including partners Arthur Hamilton (Toronto) and Laurie Livingstone (Calgary), and associate Tara McCarthy (Calgary), who have deep experience in the insurance sector, as well as representing clients in a range of other commercial litigation matters.
The team will complement Dentons’ existing practice in Canada and elsewhere around the globe. Dentons advises clients across the market including insurers, reinsurers, run-off consolidators, global brokers, as well as insurtech start-ups. Dentons provides a full-range of services, including advising on mergers and acquisitions, portfolio transfers, restructurings, joint ventures, distribution and outsourcing arrangements, regulatory matters, and dispute resolution. As a firm, Dentons actively seeks to add value and cut legal costs, where possible, through use of technology and other innovative and creative solutions.
Beth Wilson, Canada CEO at Dentons, said, “We are starting 2021 with a story of growth. With a focus on delivering exceptional client service and understanding our clients’ business needs, we are excited to expand the depth of our service offering to meet those needs. It is a privilege to be welcoming a truly remarkable team of professionals with exceptional reputations in Canada and globally. We are looking forward to this group joining our regional, national and global teams as we advance our strategy to build the leading global law firm in Canada.”
Martin Mankabady, London-based partner and global chair of Dentons’ Insurance group, said, “Bolstering our insurance sector capabilities across the world is a huge priority for Dentons. Our scale is unmatched by any other law firm and our aim is to continue to be a market-leader and the go-to adviser for both large conglomerates with global reach and local businesses with highly specialized needs. We’re delighted to be welcoming such an extraordinary team of lawyers to our global insurance team, and I look forward to working with all of them.”
Blair McCreadie, managing partner of Dentons’ Toronto office, said, “We are pleased to be joined by this team of exceptional lawyers who advise many leading domestic and international property and casualty, life insurance and reinsurance companies. Their core sector expertise will crucially strengthen our offering in the Toronto market and nationally as we continue to help clients to grow, protect, operate and finance their businesses. We look forward to integrating the team with our existing insurance clients and expanding our bench in this important sector.”
Dentons is the world’s largest law firm, connecting talent to the world’s challenges and opportunities in more than 75 countries. Dentons’ legal and business solutions benefit from deep roots in our communities and award-winning advancements in client service, including Nextlaw, Dentons’ innovation and strategic advisory services. Dentons’ polycentric and purpose-driven approach, commitment to inclusion and diversity, and world-class talent challenge the status quo to advance client and community interests in the New Dynamic.
Source: www.dentons.com
