International firm Kennedys moves into Scotland

Another international law firm has opened in Scotland, as Kennedys sets up offices in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Edinburgh solicitor Frank Gill, principal of niche commercial litigation firm Francis Gill & Co, along with his team, formally join Kennedys in the capital, having already acted for Kennedys in a number of cases over the years.

They will be joined by Rory Jackson, formerly a litigation partner in McClure Naismith, whose practice covers insurance liability, health and safety, regulatory and environmental matters and who already shares some clients with Kennedys.

Kennedys' practice focuses on litigation and dispute resolution, particularly in the insurance/reinsurance and liability industries, but also transport, construction and international trade. With about 170 partners and more than 1,250 staff in total, it has 19 other offices in 13 jurisdictions, now including all four in the British Isles. Overseas locations include Auckland, Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, Miami and European cities. Its 2014 turnover of £128.5m put it at no 24 in the Legal Week rankings by turnover.

Mr Gill commented: “Kennedys is a first-class firm with a reputation to match. There are many synergies between the work that my own firm specialises in and the work undertaken by Kennedys, which will allow me to continue servicing my existing client base as well as Kennedys’ clients that are based in Scotland. I am excited at the prospect of working with Rory to lead the firm’s office in Scotland. The Scottish legal market is vibrant and we look forward to working with our new colleagues to develop the firm’s Scottish
presence.”

Nick Thomas, senior partner of Kennedys, added: “We’ve made no secret of our desire to be in Scotland. We already have a number of insurer clients in the country and opening up in Edinburgh and Glasgow, under the expert leadership of Frank and Rory, will further enhance how we serve our existing clients and provide us with a very strong platform for further growth, which I expect to occur rapidly.”