International law firm DAC Beachcroft is pleased to announce the acquisition of a highly-rated two-partner international insurance team from the London office of US practice Sedgwick LLP led by industry star, Mark Kendall.
Mark has led Sedgwick London’s International Property and Casualty team since 2010 and the Firm’s Latin American group since 2014. With an insurance and reinsurance practice that incorporates policy coverage and international dispute management including arbitration, he has a particular focus on international casualty and product recall and liability in all major sectors, including food, automotive and pharmaceutical.
A pivotal adviser to many significant London market insurers, he shares a number of key clients with DAC Beachcroft and is ranked as a ‘Leading Lawyer’ in Chambers & Partners’ Latin America edition, in which clients praise his “strong regional knowledge” and “wealth of experience”. In addition, Legal 500 notes his work on high-profile cross border product recall issues involving New York and California law.
Partner Duncan Strachan is also joining DAC Beachcroft from Sedgwick. Duncan advises on litigation defence and coverage issues in key Latin American jurisdictions, as well as the UK and Europe, and regularly deals with large and complex cases in the region. Fluent in Spanish and recognised by Chambers Latin America 2017 as “up-and-coming”, he previously spent six months on secondment in Miami and advises a range of major insurance sector clients.
In addition to Mark and Duncan, four more lawyers are joining DAC Beachcroft in London as part of the move from Sedgwick. They are Senior Associates Lucy Dyson and Sarah Hennessy (both regarded as ‘Ones to Watch’ by Chambers) and Associates Alison Thompson and Kayleigh Stout. Legal and language support are provided by the seventh member of the team, Sarah Rixson.
On joining DAC Beachcroft in January 2018, the highly regarded seven member team will continue to handle a range of international insurance and reinsurance claims and coverage work, with a particular focus on international casualty including Latin America and Bermuda Form, product liability and recall and construction. They will work as part of the firm’s market-leading London Global practice and alongside colleagues both from DAC Beachcroft’s international offices and from Legalign Global, the unique new model launched in January to combine four of the world’s leading insurance law firms.
Helen Faulkner, Head of Insurance at DAC Beachcroft, said: “We are really pleased to welcome Mark, Duncan and their excellent team to the firm and are very much looking forward to working with them all.”
“This latest acquisition forms part of our continuing drive to further strengthen and expand both our offering and our client base in one of the most important parts of our business and to fulfil our commitment to being the leading legal advisor to London market clients.”
DAC Beachcroft Managing Partner, David Pollitt, said: “These are exciting times for our business. I have said before that by virtue of our strong, sustained financial performance and our investment in and commitment to a number of key global markets, we are increasingly able to attract lawyers of the very highest calibre. The arrival of Mark, Duncan and their team is further evidence of this.”
“By leveraging our strong insurance platform, this talented new team will be able to help us to attract even more of the complex, high-value work with which our clients entrust us both in London and also internationally, particularly in Latin America.”
Source: www.dacbeachcroft.com
