Sedgwick Chudleigh Joins Kennedys Network
Kennedys announced the establishment of a Bermuda office, with local law firm Sedgwick Chudleigh Ltd joining their ‘global network.’
A statement from the company said, “We are pleased to announce the establishment of a Bermuda office, with local law firm Sedgwick Chudleigh Ltd joining our global network. The Bermuda law firm was previously associated with US law firm Sedgwick LLP.
“This is a major development for our global expansion, as it establishes a local presence in one of the world’s most important insurance markets and a leading financial centre. The Bermuda office will significantly enhance our global offering.
“As a leading insurance and dispute resolution law firm in Bermuda, the team provides a wide range of claims and litigation, arbitration and mediation services, as well as corporate, commercial and regulatory advice to insurers, reinsurers and other organisations across a range of industries.
“The development places us in the unique position of being able to offer clients access to some of the world’s leading insurance specialists and litigators in London, New York and Bermuda as well as other important insurance hubs such as Dubai, Hong Kong, Miami and Singapore.
“The addition of this latest office makes us the first “onshore” global firm to establish a presence in Bermuda. This follows shortly after six former Sedgwick partners joined our New York and Chicago offices, including a US-based team who focus primarily on servicing the Bermuda Market.
“Mark Chudleigh will continue to lead the office in Bermuda. A dispute resolution specialist, with a strong emphasis on insurance matters, Mark has particular expertise in dealing with arbitrated insurance coverage disputes.
“He also provides coverage and claims services to the London and US insurance markets having spent 18 years working at leading firms in London and having been admitted as a US attorney since 1998. Joining Mark will be Partners Alex Potts and Nick Miles, and Associates Neil Thomson and Caitlin Conyers. Further growth is planned for our Bermuda office in due course.
“Alex Potts is a barrister and commercial litigator who regularly handles complex and high-profile disputes involving banking, financial services, investment funds, trusts, insurance and reinsurance, professional negligence, company law, contentious insolvency, and public and regulatory law. His clients include major insurance and reinsurance companies, banks, insolvency practitioners, professional service providers, investment managers and trust companies.
“Nick Miles is an insurance and corporate specialist whose practice includes insurance, banking and finance, corporate and commercial, regulatory, and insolvency and restructuring.
Nick Thomas, Senior Partner of Kennedys, says: “The Bermuda team is one of the premier litigation and insurance law firms locally and, therefore, a natural fit with Kennedys’ global network.
“This arrangement provides us with the opportunity to service clients in Bermuda, the United States and the UK, as well as our numerous other locations globally. It significantly augments our global insurance practice and puts us in a class of one amongst insurance law firms.
“Our New York, Chicago and London lawyers have worked with Mark and his team and, together, we all represent some of the world’s largest insurers.”
Chris Carroll, Partner of Kennedys CMK, says: “Mark and his team have been well known to us for more than ten years. We have several partners who have worked with them on cases, including complex arbitrations, and we have a great liking and respect for them and their work.”
Mark Chudleigh says: “Kennedys, quite rightly, has a reputation as one of the leading international litigation and insurance firms, a status that is underscored by the merger earlier this year with US firm, Carroll McNulty & Kull, as well as recent office openings in Latin America and Paris, among other locations. We handle a significant amount of off-shore work so Kennedys global reach and similar client base is terrific for us.
“The firm has a very similar culture and values to our firm’s culture in Bermuda. I have known and admired Kennedys since I began working as an insurance lawyer in London in the early 1990s and have had the pleasure of working alongside a number of Kennedys’ lawyers. The global reach of Kennedys is unsurpassed for an insurance and litigation firm and the available expertise and resources over the Kennedys network places us in a unique position in Bermuda as we continue to service our valued clients.
“Kennedys’ interest in Bermuda as an international financial centre is also a very welcome development for the country as a whole, as the jurisdiction looks to attract new business and investment opportunities involving many of the countries in which Kennedys operates.”
“The office will operate independently as Kennedys Chudleigh Ltd and will be located at: 20 Brunswick Street, Hamilton HM 10, Bermuda.
“This latest development follows significant global growth for us this year with office openings announced in Bangkok, Melbourne, Mexico City and Paris. In June, we announced the completion of our merger with leading US insurance law firm Carroll McNulty & Kull, creating a global insurance practice.”
