Six join Kennedys' Australia partnership in firm's biggest promotions round

The firm elevated a total of 22 new partners across its global offices

Six join Kennedys' Australia partnership in firm's biggest promotions round

Six lawyers have joined the Kennedys partnership in Australia as part of the global firm’s biggest promotions round.

Nicholas Blackmore, Stephanie Cook, Peter Craney, Persephone Forster, Llinos Kent and Maya Parbhoo were among a total of 22 lawyers elevated across Kennedys’ international offices.

Blackmore focuses on data privacy and cyber insurance law, general commercial and regulatory compliance, and technology procurement. He tackles matters related to cyber incidents and data breaches (from notification to complete incident management), IT procurement and contracts, and all sizes of e-commerce ventures.

He is dual-qualified in Hong Kong, and serves clients not just in Australia, but across the APAC region. He works with insurers and corporations on various regulatory and compliance issues.

Cook concentrates on property claims. She has handled high-value, complex first-party property disputes and multi-party property liability claims.

She has also worked on matters involving suspected fraud and professional indemnity claims, especially those involving construction professionals. She is dual-qualified in England and Wales, and guides counts both local and international insurers among her clients.

Craney is an expert in marine, aviation, casualty and property insurance law. He guides clients on coverage disputes and insurance product development, and also conducts commercial and shipping advisory work, litigation and arbitration.

He has served as defence counsel and tackled subrogated recoveries. He has acted for Lloyd’s and overseas market (re)insurers, shipping and transport companies, major airlines, and construction companies in Australia and London.

Forster specialises in employment law and litigation. She has tackled the gamut of workplace issues throughout the employment lifecycle, including sensitive exit situations, the protection of confidential information and managing complex workforce change.

She has worked with clients from both the public and private sectors, such as the insurance, banking, aged care, education and professional services sectors.

Kent is dual-qualified in England and Wales, and guides clients on concerns involving Australian and English law such as policy response and coverage issues relating to financial lines (including D&O, professional indemnity, crime and trustee liability), investment management insurance, cyber and warranty and indemnity policies. The insurance expert takes on claims across different professions in both Australia and the UK.

Parbhoo’s practice focuses on healthcare and litigation. She represents medical practitioners and allied health professionals in medical negligence claims, regulation and disciplinary proceedings, coronial inquests and Medicare audits.

She has a wealth of experience in medico-legal issues and court jurisdictions, having led high quantum and complex claims involving catastrophic injuries. She has also assisted doctors appearing before the Australia Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and the Medical Board of Australia. 

A total of 13 women and 9 men made the Kennedys partnership worldwide. The other new partners are listed as follows:

UK

  • Kavan Bakhda, London
  • George Chaisty, Manchester
  • Rhys Davies, London
  • Angela Fisher, Birmingham
  • Nicola Pangbourne, London
  • Avinder Sidhu, Birmingham
  • Katie Tonks, Birmingham

EMEA

  • Heidi Bloch, Copenhagen
  • Martina O'Mahoney, Dublin

US

  • Bevin Carroll, Chicago
  • Daniel Lockwood, Austin
  • Nitin Sain, New York
  • Danielle Valliere, Basking Ridge
  • Jedidiah Vander Klok, Miami
  • Diana Weller, Miami
  • Josh Wirtshafter, Basking Ridge