People: Kennedys strengthens professional liability practice with four hires from DWF; Host of trainees join Browne Jacobson; and more

Law firm Kennedys has boosted its professional liability capabilities with the appointment of a four-strong professional indemnity (PI) team to its Birmingham office.

The team of lawyers, joining from DWF, comprise two partners, Paul Chaplin and Steve Oates, and two associates, Eliza Kwok and Scott Lawton.

Chaplin is one of Birmingham’s pre-eminent PI lawyers and headed the Birmingham PI team at DWF prior to joining Kennedys. He specialises in defending claims against professional entities and their insurers on behalf of solicitors, financial services providers, accountants, construction professionals and brokers. He brings experience of defending claims to trial and subsequent appeals to the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court; as well as dispute resolution expertise, including mediation and arbitration. This includes resolution of disputes before the Financial Ombudsman and Pensions Ombudsman.

Oates has worked alongside Paul for over a decade and focuses on defending lawyers, construction/property professionals, insurance brokers and expert witnesses. He also advises on policy coverage/disputes as well as drafting and advising on construction and commercial contracts, with experience in litigation, arbitration and adjudication. Oates also advises on directors’ and officers’ coverage and the defence of these matters. He is also qualified in the Republic of Ireland.

Nick Thomas, senior partner at Kennedys, says: “This is another significant strategic move for Kennedys, bringing in a market-leading team to further strengthen our regional offering to insurer clients. I welcome Paul, Steve, Eliza and Scott and I am confident they will enjoy every success with Kennedys.”

Eamon Mooney, who leads Kennedys’ Birmingham insurance practice, says: “I am delighted to welcome Paul, Steve and their team, having known Paul and Steve for quite some time at DWF and prior to that at Triton Global. Their collective experience is a natural fit for Kennedys and will significantly enhance our existing capabilities, making us an even more powerful professional indemnity team, both in the UK and the Midlands itself.”

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Browne Jacobson has welcomed 17 aspiring new lawyers to its trainee scheme for 2019 – 2021.

The new recruits will join 19 second year trainees, bringing the total of trainee lawyers at the firm to 36.

The trainees will be split across three of the firm’s five offices:
Birmingham – eight
London – six
Nottingham – three

They will work across various key sectors for the firm including, corporate and commercial, insurance, construction, health, retail, government and real estate.

Ten of the new starters have come via the firm’s successful vacation scheme which launched in 2015. The summer vacation scheme provides an opportunity for prospective trainees to undertake genuine work whilst learning more about the firm through interaction with partners, lawyers, trainees and support teams. One of the trainees is also an internal candidate, having already been an employee of the firm.

Iain Blatherwick, managing partner at Browne Jacobson, said: “I am delighted to welcome this group of talented individuals to the firm. The quality of external applicants was very high, as were the 10 applicants who came through our summer vacation scheme, so we are confident we have appointed the right people to support the future needs of our ever growing business.
“We pride ourselves on knowing we offer a scheme which allows our trainees to gain exposure to a broad range of legal matters and a really strong client portfolio. This will give our 17 new starters a great foundation for the start of their legal careers and we hope that many will continue their careers with the firm upon qualification.”

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Kelly Haslehurst has taken up the newly created position of marketing director – conventions and exhibitions, for the NEC Group this week.

With 20 years’ marketing experience on both the client and supplier side of events, Haslehurst has worked in investment management, insurance and consultancy.  Most recently, she was head of marketing for two leading conference venues, the ICC and Vox (part of the NEC Group portfolio) since November 2014.

Kathryn James, managing director for NEC Group Conventions and Exhibitions, said: “In order to maximise shared best practice and encourage more coordinated working we have merged our marketing function across exhibitions and conferences.  We are thrilled that we have been able to offer the new position of Marketing Director across these two business areas to a worthy internal candidate.  Kelly is a strategic marketing expert and has a wealth of knowledge in the events sector.  Her team will provide a single point of contact and create a centre of excellence in marketing.”

Haslehurst said: “I’ve built considerable experience in the events industry but the NEC Group’s Talent programme gave me the tools and confidence to be ready for that next step in my marketing career.  I’m excited to be offered this opportunity and I’m looking forward to delivering with real impact in my new role by synchronising activity across the NEC, ICC and Vox, maximising our venue brands and striving to provide the best customer experience possible.”