Insurance specialist Kennedys has continued to expand in Latin America, opening two offices in Brazil and Peru.
The Brazilian office is in São Paulo and will be led by Fabio Torres who joins Kennedys as a partner from local firm TM Law, where he was a founding partner.
TM Law has worked in association with Kennedys in Brazil for a number of years. The local firm has offices in Rio de Janeiro and São Paolo and specialises in civil, commercial and corporate law with a focus on the insurance industry. The firms said the relationship will continue despite the UK firm opening an office in the region.
Kennedys’ second office will be in Lima and will be headed up by Marco Rivera Noya. Noya also joins Kennedys as a partner from Peruvian firm Osterling Abogados.
Associate Jorge Mere has transferred from Kennedys’ Miami office to support Noya in the Lima office. Attorneys Noriko Hasegawa and Alonso Barreda will also work as part of Kennedys’ Peru team. The Lima office will focus on insurance and reinsurance with an emphasis on regulatory matters and arbitration.
Senior partner Nick Thomas said: “These are strategically important moves for Kennedys and add to our already considerable capabilities across Latin America.
He added that “after six years in Miami the next stage is to also establish offices in the most important Latin American jurisdictions.”
Kennedys’ international strategy has seen it grow in Latin America and the US in recent years. In January the firm gained the ability to practice US law for the first time after making two hires to its Miami office. The Miami hub is focused on advising Latin American, Caribbean and London-based insurers and reinsurers.
At the same time Kennedys entered into associations with Argentinian-based Alberto Bunge & Asociados (ABA). The boutique firm specialises in complex insurance and reinsurance matters and has worked with Kennedys since 2013. The formal relationship came less than a year after the firm also entered into an association with Chilian insurance boutique Sateler Deolo Diemoz Avogados.