GLOBAL law firm Kennedys has signalled its continued commitment to growth in Scotland with two new partner hires.
The appointments of Gavin Henderson and Daniela Fusi, both formerly Clyde & Co (Scotland) partners, take the total number of fee earners to 23 across its offices in Edinburgh and Glasgow, with more new fee earners expected to join in the coming months as Kennedys enjoy another record year.
Rory Jackson, managing partner of Kennedys in Scotland, said: “After the challenges of Covid over the last two years, I am delighted to say that not only are we still delivering a first-class service to our clients but we are growing our team as well.
“I’m certain that the experience and expertise Gavin and Daniela bring will continue to broaden, develop and enhance the service we provide to our clients across the country.”
Gavin was the former head of the insurance, financial, and professional disputes department at Clyde & Co. As well as professional indemnity disputes, he has particular experience in coverage, property damage, and construction work plus commercial dispute resolution for individuals and companies.
Daniela acts for major composite and run-off insurers, self-insured and multi-nationals handling predominantly high-value, complex, and fatal claims. While specialising in industrial disease claims such as asbestos-related cancer, asthma, hearing loss, and hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS), she has also represented insurance, industry, and public authority clients in both the Sheriff Courts and Court of Session including health and safety prosecutions and fatal accident inquiries.
Reflecting on the pandemic, Rory added: “When the pandemic hit, we were very fortunate in that Kennedys had already laid the groundwork so it was a relatively smooth transition for everyone to work from home.
“We introduced our new global hybrid working policy giving everyone the flexibility to work from home which has been well received by the team.”
Rory, who held weekly catch-ups with colleagues during lockdown to check on their health and well-being added: ”I was particularly pleased when we introduced our global wellbeing day recently as part of our ongoing mental health and well-being programme.
“I like to think that our success is, in a large part, down to the way we pulled together and helped each other. We’re now stronger than ever and looking forward to welcoming like-minded people to join us.”
Nick Thomas, senior partner, added: “When we first opened our Scotland offices in 2015, it was to support our clients who were based there, but since then Rory and the team have gone from strength to strength.
“Kennedys’ global reach means that our clients are not only looked after by our Scottish team but have access to a whole range of experts across the world markets. I think the benefit that the bigger picture brings is one of the things that makes us attractive to clients globally”
Kennedys, which has 43 offices across the world, has continued to grow throughout the pandemic, opening new branches in Leeds, San Francisco, Oman, Perth, and Tel Aviv, as well as moving to bigger premises in Manchester, Melbourne, and Hong Kong.
The firm recently announced that it will be moving its London HQ to the ‘Walkie Talkie’ building at the end of the year, as part of WorkWise, its global transformation programme.
