RPC has hired a two partner team from troubled US firm Sedgwick, bolstering its insurance practice in London.
These hires come after the Sedgwick confirmed last week that it is to cease trading early next year in a move that affected over 80 partners, including six in London.
Two of the partners affected – Naomi Vary and Karen Morrish – are now set to join RPC’s London base. Vary is expected to launch the firm’s political risk team to join up with its existing Singapore team.
Vary acts for clients on political risk, terrorism insurance, trade credit and other political matters; while Morrish specialises in professional indemnity matters and defends claims against lawyers, financial advisers, accountants, and insurance intermediaries.
Vary is departing Sedgwick less than a year after she joined from Clyde & Co, where she was a director. Morrish joined Sedgwick from Bond Pearce in 2012 as a partner.
Head of insurance Simon Laird said: “Bringing Naomi and Karen on board makes perfect sense for us. Naomi will be building out our political risk team in London and joining up with Geraldine Bourke in Singapore to add a truly international service to our clients.
“Karen joins a team which is operating at its capacity and needs to grow. She’ll add real strength to the team and provide an impressive depth of experience that our clients in London and Bristol will benefit from.”
In a firm statement last week, Sedgwick confirmed it would be closing in early January after a spate of partner departures in the last year.
These RPC hires leave four partners in the London office yet to find new roles.
Of the UK firms, Kennedys has particularly boosted its partner ranks via Sedgwick raids after taking teams in New York and Chicago.
Kennedys also opened an office in Bermuda following the recruitment of five lawyers from Sedgwick Chudleigh, which was previously associated with the US firm.
