Keoghs buys into rival’s Insurance Business Group

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Bolton-based Keoghs, the pre-eminent legal services provider for the UK insurance industry, has exchanged contracts on a deal to buy Hill Dickinson’s highly-rated Insurance Business Group.

The agreement excludes all marine insurance and clinical negligence work, which has always been undertaken separately from the general insurance work and will continue to be part of Liverpool-headquartered Hill Dickinson’s core business.

The deal sees 16 Hill Dickinson partners and around 400 other fee earners and business services staff based in Liverpool, London and Manchester transferring to Keoghs by the end of January, 2018.

As well as adding staff and services to its existing offices in London and Manchester, Keoghs will gain a presence in Liverpool, where it will sub-let premises from Hill Dickinson as part of the transaction.

Keoghs is renowned for its expertise across the full spectrum of insurance claims, including motor, liability, complex personal injury, property, credit hire and disease.

It also has a reputation for representing insurer clients in matters where insurance fraud is suspected, especially in areas such as motor, liability and property.

Keoghs chief executive John Whittle said: “When combined with our recent office openings in Southampton, London and Glasgow, this acquisition is the latest investment to enable us to deliver on our vision of becoming the pre-eminent legal services provider for the UK insurance industry.

“In the current climate of consolidation within insurance law, investment in people, technology and infrastructure are the key factors to enable success. Keoghs is at the forefront of driving market change and are determined to put clear blue water between us and our competitors.”

Hill Dickinson chief executive Peter Jackson added: “I believe that our partners and staff involved in transferring to Keoghs will benefit from moving to a firm whose sole focus is insurance and which has invested heavily in infrastructure to service clients effectively and efficiently both now and in the future.

“It will also allow us to focus our resource and efforts on areas of future strategic growth in our core business areas of health, marine and commercial, whilst at the same time maintaining close relationships with Keoghs to provide an enhanced offering to our retained clients who require insurance-related advice.”