The Legal 500

Kennedys is a specialist national and international law firm with expertise in litigation and dispute resolution. It has over 1000 employees globally, across nine UK and nine international locations. Its lawyers provide a range of specialist legal services for many industries including: insurance/reinsurance, healthcare, construction, employment, rail, maritime and international trade, with a particular focus on dispute resolution and litigation.

The firm: Kennedys ‘grew-up’ in the insurance industry, a sector known for its tight margins and intense focus on value-for-money. The firm has a deep understanding of the pressures on the client’s bottom-line and has developed a reputation for providing straightforward, pragmatic advice cost-effectively.

Kennedys has undergone a period of rapid expansion and now has a nationwide presence in the UK with offices in London, Belfast, Birmingham, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Maidstone, Manchester, Sheffield and Taunton. Its growth and success has been recognised by the 2010 Legal Business Awards where the firm was awarded ‘Law Firm of the Year’ and ‘Insurance Team of the Year’.

International: as well as nine locations in the UK, Kennedys has offices in Auckland, Dubai, Dublin, Hong Kong, Lisbon, Madrid, Miami (for Latin America), Singapore and Sydney, and associated offices in Abu Dhabi, Delhi, Karachi, Mumbai, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Santiago and Warsaw.

Types of work undertaken: Insurance/reinsurance: Kennedys undertakes coverage and defence work over all classes of business for a client base that includes: general insurers, global composites, Lloyd’s syndicates, self insured PLCs and self-insuring government bodies. The firm is particularly known for its work in the fields of property/energy, financial lines (including professional indemnity and D&O) and excess of loss casualty.

Construction: construction and engineering are a significant part of Kennedys’ business, whether advising on construction and engineering matters for employers and contractors, on insurance claims arising under policies written in relation to a large number of construction and engineering projects, or on health and safety issues arising in those industries.

Liability: Kennedys acts on behalf of insurers for claims arising under public, employers’, product and motor liability policies as well as medical negligence, personal injury and compulsory insurance claims.

Healthcare: Kennedys has been advising hospitals, their insurers, trusts and healthcare professionals on clinical negligence and health law advice for over 20 years. The department acts for the National Health Service Litigation Authority and for over 60 trusts and primary care trusts.

Rail sector: the firm has a particular expertise in this area and handles a wide range of contentious matters such as public inquiries and investigations, police and HSE investigations, as well as prosecutions and health and safety issues.

Employment: Kennedys’ employment team is highly experienced in dealing with the full raft of employment-related litigation, including wages, contract, discrimination and dismissal-related disputes, and large group action litigation (ie equal pay and TUPE). The team is equally well-versed in assisting clients with day-to-day HR issues and strategy.

Maritime and international trade: Kennedys London specialises in shipping and trade matters around the world, working closely with its Singapore, New Zealand and Spanish offices. Areas of expertise include commodities, financing, energy, marine, intermodal work, collision, salvage, and all manner of physical damage claims involving ships and their cargoes.

Property: Kennedys’ real estate team covers the whole spectrum of property-related work including asset management, banking, corporate real estate, development, dispute resolution, investment (acquisitions and disposals), landlord and tenant, planning and rights of light, project finance, re-structuring, insolvency and impaired assets.

Corporate: Kennedys advises clients on all aspects of change including commercial contracts, corporate recovery and restructuring, cross-border, data protection, mergers and acquisitions and related work, procurement procedures, outsourcing, partnership, policy advice, property and regulation (including FSA regulation).

Number of UK partners 120
Number of other UK fee-earners 309